Can I Get Wegovy for Free on the NHS?

Who can get Wegovy for free through the NHS?

NICE approved semaglutide (Wegovy) for use on the NHS in March 2023, but the conditions attached are specific. To be considered, you need a BMI of 35 or above, or between 30 and 34.9 if your GP has already referred you on specialist criteria, and if you want to understand exactly what BMI is required to get Wegovy, our dedicated page walks through every threshold in detail. You also need at least one weight-related comorbidity — meaning a diagnosed condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnoea. For people from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, these thresholds are each 2.5 kg/m² lower, reflecting differences in how weight affects health risk.

Critically, NICE's recommendation applies only within a specialist weight management service that offers multidisciplinary support: dietary advice, activity guidance, psychological support, and ongoing clinical review. A GP cannot simply write a Wegovy prescription for free supply under this route. You need to be referred into a commissioned specialist programme, and those programmes have waiting lists that vary considerably by region. Some patients wait months; others have waited longer. If you want to check your BMI against these thresholds before speaking to your GP, the NHS BMI calculator is a practical starting point. The fuller picture of what BMI is needed is covered on our Wegovy BMI eligibility page.

One more constraint: even if you are prescribed Wegovy through the NHS, the licence caps it at two years. A prescriber will review your progress at six months on the maintenance dose; if you've lost less than 5% of your body weight by that point, continuing is unlikely to be recommended.

What if my GP says they can prescribe Wegovy?

The position for GPs changed from April 2026 under the 2026/27 NHS contract. GP practices can now prescribe tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in primary care, but Wegovy via specialist services remains on the TA875 pathway, which still requires a specialist team. If your GP mentions Wegovy, it is worth asking specifically which pathway they are prescribing under, because the commissioning rules still require the wraparound support structure. Our page on getting Wegovy from your GP goes through this distinction in more detail.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under separate frameworks. Access criteria and commissioning arrangements differ, so if you are outside England, your GP or local health board is the most reliable source of current information. A question our prescribers hear regularly is whether someone in Scotland can just be referred to an English specialist service instead, the answer, in short, is no.

For a step-by-step account of the NHS referral and private routes side by side, the full access guide covers both in practical terms.

If I can't get Wegovy for free, what does it cost privately?

A legitimate private prescription for Wegovy requires the same clinical assessment as any other route, a prescriber reviews your health history, weight, and any relevant conditions before issuing a prescription. There is no legal shortcut. The cost of private treatment has shifted since Eli Lilly raised list prices for Mounjaro in late 2025; Wegovy's private pricing has moved in a similar range across the market. Our Wegovy cost and pricing page sets out the current picture honestly, including what a transparent price should include and what to be wary of when a price looks unusually low.

Pen storage is one of those practical details that surprises people: Wegovy pens are kept in the fridge, ideally in the door where temperature is stable enough for short-term use. The patient information leaflet specifies exactly how long a pen can be kept at room temperature; always follow it rather than a general rule you read online. For anything time-sensitive about storage, your dispensing pharmacy is the right call.

At nume, one transparent price covers the consultation, the prescription, the treatment itself, and free next-working-day tracked delivery, no subscription, no hidden renewal charges. A named GPhC-registered prescriber reads every consultation the same day; it is a person, not software. We are not the cheapest option on the market. That is intentional. Safety infrastructure, genuine supply chain, and 7-day aftercare cost something, and for a prescription medicine, those things are the right measures to compare. You can read more about our clinical approach if you'd like to understand what goes into each assessment.

Is Wegovy the right treatment for weight loss, or should I consider alternatives?

Wegovy is licensed in the UK for weight management, and the trial evidence (published in the New England Journal of Medicine (STEP 1)) showed around 15% average body-weight reduction over 68 weeks at the 2.4mg maintenance dose. The MHRA approved a higher 7.2mg dose in early 2026, with trial data suggesting average losses approaching 21% over 72 weeks at that dose.

For some people, tirzepatide (Mounjaro) may be more suitable, it works through two gut-hormone pathways rather than one, and head-to-head trial data in adults without diabetes showed greater average weight reduction compared with semaglutide 2.4mg. Which medicine is right for you is a clinical question that depends on your health history, any other medicines you take, and your own preferences. Our guide to Wegovy for weight loss and our broader weight loss treatment overview cover the licensed options side by side. If you'd like a prescriber to assess which is appropriate for you, you can start your free consultation with no obligation.