Which comorbidities qualify you for Wegovy — and what that really means

The myth: any comorbidity gets you Wegovy at BMI 27

This is the most common misreading of the licence, and it's worth correcting clearly. Having a weight-related condition lowers the BMI threshold at which Wegovy's UK licence applies, but it doesn't bypass clinical assessment. The licence, granted by the MHRA and reflected in the NHS's guidance on semaglutide, sets 27–29.9 with a qualifying comorbidity as the floor, not the ceiling. A prescriber still has to weigh whether Wegovy is the right choice given your other medicines, any contraindications, and whether the expected benefit is proportionate. Someone with a BMI of 28 and well-controlled hypertension might qualify; someone with the same BMI and a history of acute pancreatitis faces a very different clinical conversation. The comorbidity opens a door; it doesn't walk you through it.

It's also worth knowing that Wegovy's suitability is reviewed before every repeat prescription at a registered service like ours. This isn't bureaucracy for its own sake, it reflects what responsible prescribing of a prescription-only medicine actually looks like.

Which conditions are recognised as qualifying comorbidities

The weight-related conditions most consistently cited in clinical guidance include type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes), hypertension, dyslipidaemia (raised cholesterol or triglycerides), obstructive sleep apnoea, and established cardiovascular disease. Osteoarthritis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease appear in broader UK guidance as weight-aggravated conditions that may also be relevant. NICE's appraisal of semaglutide (TA875) uses a framework that asks whether the condition is meaningfully worsened by excess weight, which is a useful practical test. If your GP has documented a condition in that category alongside a BMI in the 27–29.9 range, it's worth raising with a prescriber.

Age matters too. The licence applies to adults; if you're close to the 18-year boundary, read more about the age criteria for Wegovy and what they mean in practice. For context on how Wegovy compares to other licensed options, the Wegovy comparison page covers the differences in mechanism and evidence.

NHS access versus private prescription: the comorbidity bar is very different

On the NHS, having a comorbidity is necessary but far from sufficient. NICE TA875 restricts NHS semaglutide to adults referred to a specialist weight management service, with a BMI of at least 35 (or the ethnicity-adjusted equivalent), at least one comorbidity, and a maximum treatment duration of two years. Waiting lists for those services can be long. That reality is why many people explore the private route instead. To understand what that involves practically, the guide to where Wegovy is available explains the legal options.

Private prescribing follows the SmPC's licensed eligibility criteria rather than NICE's commissioning restrictions, so the BMI 27 plus comorbidity route is genuinely available through a regulated private pharmacy. The full eligibility breakdown sets out exactly what a prescriber considers. For a sense of the costs involved, the Wegovy cost page gives honest context on what private treatment typically includes.

What happens in practice when you mention a comorbidity at consultation

When you complete a consultation at a service like ours, the prescriber reads your answers (a real clinician, not software) and looks at your reported conditions in the context of your full health picture. If you're in the BMI 27–29.9 bracket and you note a qualifying condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, that's the detail that shifts the clinical picture. Prescription records, GP history and any medicines you're already taking all factor in. Tirzepatide and semaglutide both carry contraindications worth checking, and some medicines interact with the slowed gastric emptying that GLP-1 medicines cause.

One practical point that surprises some people: the pen stays in the fridge, not in a handbag or a gym bag, because semaglutide requires refrigeration between 2°C and 8°C, the exact room-temperature window is in the Patient Information Leaflet and your prescriber will confirm it. Getting the storage right matters as much as getting the prescription right. If you'd like a broader overview of how Wegovy works and what to expect, the Wegovy information page is the place to start. When you're ready, you can check your eligibility with our prescribers, it's a free consultation with no obligation.