Wegovy Criteria: Do You Qualify for Treatment in the UK?

Step 1: Check the licensed BMI thresholds for Wegovy in the UK

The starting point for understanding the criteria for Wegovy is the medicine's UK product licence. Semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above (the standard definition of obesity) or in adults with a BMI between 27 and 29.9 who have at least one weight-related condition. Conditions that count at that lower threshold include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease, among others.

It is worth knowing that these thresholds shift for some people. UK clinical guidance sets BMI cut-offs approximately 2.5 kg/m² lower for adults of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, reflecting differences in how BMI relates to metabolic risk across ethnic groups. The NHS BMI calculator can give you a starting figure, though a prescriber will always review your result in context.

Wegovy is not licensed for use in people under 18, during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or if you are actively trying to conceive. Certain conditions, including a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or a history of pancreatitis, require careful prescriber discussion before treatment can be considered. The full list of contraindications is detailed in the patient information leaflet.

Meeting the BMI criteria for Wegovy is a necessary starting point, not a guarantee. A prescriber examines the whole picture. You can explore the specific BMI requirements for Wegovy in more detail if you want to understand exactly where you stand before consulting.

Step 2: Understand how NHS eligibility differs from the private licence

If you are thinking about accessing Wegovy through the NHS, the criteria are considerably narrower than the product licence suggests. NICE's appraisal of semaglutide for weight management (TA875) recommends it only within specialist weight management services, for a maximum of two years, and for adults with a BMI of 35 or above alongside at least one weight-related comorbidity. Adults with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 may be considered if they meet specialist referral criteria. If someone does not achieve at least 5% weight loss after six months on the maintenance dose, continuing treatment should be reviewed. NHS waiting lists for specialist services are commonly long, and access varies significantly by area. NICE's full guidance on semaglutide (TA875) sets out these conditions in detail.

Private prescribing follows the licensed criteria rather than NICE's NHS pathway, which is why the thresholds differ. Through a regulated private pharmacy, an adult with a BMI of 30 or above (or 27-plus with a relevant condition) can be assessed without a referral or a waiting list. That does not mean the process is casual — every private prescription still requires a proper clinical assessment. There is no shortcut past the prescriber. For a fuller look at what the criteria for prescribing Wegovy involve, the prescribing criteria page covers both NHS and private routes side by side.

People sometimes ask whether cost plays a role in access decisions. It does not affect the clinical criteria themselves, though it is worth understanding what private treatment involves financially. The Wegovy cost overview covers what a private prescription typically includes.

Step 3: What a prescriber reviews beyond your BMI

Once you meet the headline BMI criteria for Wegovy, the clinical assessment goes considerably deeper. A prescriber will look at your current medicines, because semaglutide can affect the absorption of oral contraceptives and other oral treatments taken at similar times. They will ask about your history of GI conditions, kidney function, thyroid health and any prior use of GLP-1 medicines. Your blood pressure, blood glucose and overall cardiovascular risk may all be relevant. This is not bureaucracy for its own sake, it is how a clinician ensures the treatment is genuinely right for you, not just technically within the licence.

At nume, every consultation is personally read by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber, not processed by an algorithm. Our prescribers work through the same day, so most people hear back well before the 12pm cut-off that triggers same-day dispatch. Identity is verified and current weight is confirmed on video before any treatment is approved. Transfer patients and those requesting a dose increase provide clinical evidence as part of that review. You can read about how our clinical team approaches these decisions on the clinical lead's profile.

The Wegovy eligibility criteria page walks through each stage of what a complete assessment covers, which may help you prepare for your consultation. If you have already confirmed your BMI and health conditions, the criteria for Wegovy for weight loss specifically sets out exactly what a prescriber needs to see. When you are ready, you can check your eligibility with our prescribers at no charge.