How to become eligible for weight loss injections in the UK

Step 1, Check whether your BMI and health profile fit the criteria

The first practical step is working out where you stand against the licensed thresholds. For both Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide), the baseline is a BMI of 30 or above. If your BMI sits between 27 and 29.9, you may still qualify, but only if you have at least one condition that is worsened by excess weight. Conditions that count include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, and cardiovascular disease, among others.

It is worth knowing that the BMI numbers shift depending on your ethnic background. UK clinical guidance reduces the qualifying thresholds by 2.5 kg/m² for people from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, because the health risks associated with higher weight can appear at a lower BMI in those groups. The full eligibility criteria page breaks this down in more detail if you want to check your own position.

The NHS BMI calculator at nhs.uk is a quick and reliable way to get your number before you go any further. Once you have it, you have the core piece of information a prescriber will ask about first.

Step 2, Complete a clinical consultation so a prescriber can assess the full picture

Meeting the BMI threshold is necessary but not sufficient. A licensed prescriber has to review your health history, your current and recent medications, and any conditions that might affect whether treatment is safe for you. This is not a formality. Certain medical histories (a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, a history of pancreatitis, or some gastrointestinal conditions, for example) require careful prescriber discussion before any decision is made.

A question our prescribers hear most weeks is whether people would be eligible for weight loss injections without a GP referral first. For private treatment, you do not need one. At nume, you complete a consultation directly: a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reads your answers and any supporting information the same day. It is a real clinician, not an automated system. If the prescriber has questions, they will contact you. If treatment is clinically appropriate, your prescription is written.

The consultation also covers your current medicines. Some interactions matter practically, women taking the oral contraceptive pill starting tirzepatide, for instance, are advised to add a non-oral method of contraception for the first four weeks of treatment and for four weeks after each dose increase, because absorption of the pill may be reduced. A prescriber needs to know what you are taking to advise you properly. You can read more on our about us page about how the clinical team approaches each case.

Step 3, Understand what happens if you don't yet meet the criteria, or if you're unsure

Not everyone who wants treatment will meet the criteria at the time they apply, and that is a fair outcome of a proper clinical process rather than a failure of it. If your BMI is below the threshold and you do not have a qualifying condition, neither Mounjaro nor Wegovy is currently licensed for you, and a responsible prescriber will say so clearly. The right next step in that situation is usually a conversation with your GP about weight management options that are appropriate for your starting point.

For people who are unsure whether they are eligible for weight loss injections and which medicine suits them, that question is exactly what the consultation is for. Mounjaro works on two gut-hormone pathways (GIP and GLP-1); Wegovy works on one (GLP-1 alone). The clinical trial evidence (including the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025) shows tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg over 72 weeks, though which medicine is right for any individual depends on their health profile, not just the headline figures.

If cost is part of your thinking, there is a practical overview of what weight loss injection pricing actually includes, including what to watch for when a price looks unusually low. For most people, the clinical suitability question comes first and the product question follows from there.

Step 4, Know the difference between NHS and private eligibility routes

There are two routes to a licensed weight loss injection in the UK: NHS and private. They use different eligibility criteria, and knowing which applies to you saves a lot of confusion.

On the NHS, tirzepatide (under NICE appraisal TA1026) is currently being introduced in phases. From June 2025, the first cohort (adults with a BMI of 40 or above plus four or more specific weight-related conditions) became eligible. A second cohort covering BMI 35–39.9 with four or more conditions was activated in June 2026. Wegovy has its own NHS route through specialist weight management services, which typically involve waiting lists. NHS eligibility is strict, phased, and varies by area.

Private treatment through a regulated online pharmacy follows the licensed SmPC criteria described in steps one and two above, without a referral or waiting list. The condition is that the pharmacy and the prescribers behind it must be properly regulated. You can verify any online pharmacy on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org, nume's registration number is 9012878. Our clinical team oversees every prescription issued. Once approved, treatment is dispatched the same day for free next-working-day delivery. That combination (speed, proper clinical oversight, and a verified supply chain) is what makes the private route a genuine alternative for people who are eligible for a weight loss injection but cannot access treatment through the NHS quickly enough.

If you think you meet the criteria and want to speak to a prescriber, you can start your free consultation today with no obligation.