Wegovy eligibility in the UK: what the criteria actually mean for you

You've looked up your BMI and it clears the threshold, so why isn't this straightforward?

Most people arrive at this question after doing the maths. BMI over 30: tick. Maybe a diagnosis of high cholesterol or sleep apnoea sitting in your GP records: tick. And yet actually getting Wegovy feels like it takes more than a calculator.

That frustration is understandable, and it's a question our prescribers hear most weeks. The reason it's not purely arithmetic is that Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg) is a prescription-only medicine. The licensed criteria set the minimum bar; a clinician still has to confirm you clear it, check for contraindications, and decide whether the medicine is right for your specific circumstances. BMI is the starting point, not the whole story.

The NHS medicines information for semaglutide explains the general licensed use: adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 with at least one weight-related health condition. Those conditions include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease. If you're not sure which category you fall into, the BMI guidance for Wegovy breaks that down in more detail.

One practical point worth knowing: if your background is South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean, UK clinical guidance applies thresholds 2.5 kg/m² lower. That means a BMI of 27.5 can meet the threshold that would otherwise require 30, and if you want to check exactly where you stand, our page on whether you are eligible for Wegovy walks through the criteria in plain terms.

What the NHS route actually requires, and why private treatment exists alongside it

NICE's recommendation for semaglutide under TA875 is more specific than the licensed criteria. On the NHS, treatment must be delivered within a specialist weight management service as part of multidisciplinary care, is limited to a maximum of two years, and is recommended for adults with a BMI of 35 or above alongside at least one weight-related comorbidity. Lower BMI ranges (30 to 34.9) can also qualify but require meeting specialist-referral criteria. The ethnic-background adjustment of 2.5 kg/m² applies throughout, so 32.5 effectively replaces 35 for the groups mentioned above.

In practice, NHS specialist services carry significant waiting lists. Cohort 2 of the NHS England phased rollout (covering people with a BMI of 35 to 39.9 plus four or more qualifying conditions) was only activated in June 2026. Many people who are clinically suitable simply cannot access NHS treatment within any useful timeframe.

Private treatment through a regulated online pharmacy operates under the licensed criteria rather than the NICE commissioning restrictions. That means a BMI of 30 (or 27 with a relevant condition) is the threshold, the two-year cap doesn't apply, and there's no requirement to be referred to a specialist service first. What remains constant is the need for a genuine clinical assessment. You can read more about how to get Wegovy in the UK if you want to understand the private route step by step, or explore the full eligibility criteria for Wegovy alongside the NHS framework.

The conditions and health factors a prescriber considers beyond your BMI

Clearing the BMI threshold opens the door; it doesn't guarantee a prescription. A prescriber reviews your full health background, and some factors mean Wegovy is not appropriate regardless of BMI.

Wegovy is not recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding or if you're trying to conceive. It isn't licensed for anyone under 18. A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 is a contraindication. Significant gastrointestinal conditions, a previous history of pancreatitis, and certain other diagnoses all require careful clinical consideration, not a blanket refusal, but a prescriber discussion rather than a self-assessment.

There's also a medicines interaction worth flagging for women taking oral contraceptives. Because semaglutide slows gastric emptying, absorption of some medicines can be affected. NHS guidance addresses this and your prescriber will factor it in at consultation. If you want to explore specific health situations, the eligibility detail for semaglutide covers these in more depth.

The cost context matters here too: for a prescription medicine like this, clinical suitability isn't a box-ticking exercise. You can review treatment options at nume to understand what the assessment and prescription process involves before committing to anything.

What happens if you meet the criteria, the consultation step

Once you're reasonably confident you meet the licensed BMI threshold and don't have an obvious contraindication, the next step is a clinical consultation. At nume, that means completing a structured health questionnaire, followed by photo-ID identity verification and live weight verification on video. A GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reviews your answers the same day, a real clinician reads your responses, not automated software making a decision.

If the prescriber confirms clinical suitability, treatment is dispensed from our GPhC-registered pharmacy (registration 9012878, verifiable at the GPhC register) and dispatched the same day for free next-working-day delivery via DPD. Orders placed before 12pm Monday to Friday qualify for same-day dispatch once approved. There are no subscriptions and no auto-renewals; every repeat order is clinically reviewed before it goes out.

If you're not certain where you stand, the clearest next step is simply to start. The guide to who is eligible for Wegovy can help you check the details, or you can go straight to a consultation and let the prescriber make that assessment properly.