The NHS criteria for Wegovy: who qualifies and what that means for you

What the NHS criteria for Wegovy actually say

NICE published TA875 in March 2023, and the recommendation has a specific shape that many people don't realise when they first look into it. The criteria for Wegovy on the NHS aren't just a BMI number. To qualify, you need a BMI of 35 or above and at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, heart disease or raised cholesterol. A BMI of 30 to 34.9 can also meet the threshold if you satisfy the referral criteria for specialist weight management care.

Crucially, NICE specifies that Wegovy must be prescribed within a multidisciplinary specialist weight management service, not as a standalone treatment from a GP. That service provides dietary advice, behaviour-change support and medical monitoring alongside the medicine. If you're removed from the service, the prescription stops too.

There's also a time limit built in. The NICE recommendation covers a maximum of two years of treatment, after which the clinical picture is reassessed. NICE also says prescribers should consider stopping Wegovy if less than five per cent weight loss is achieved after six months on the maintenance dose. These rules exist to ensure the medicine is used where the evidence is strongest. You can read the full criteria in the NICE TA875 recommendations.

The BMI threshold that catches people out

A question our prescribers hear most weeks is: "My BMI is 31 — can I get Wegovy on the NHS?" The short answer is that TA875 does not recommend it at that BMI under standard NHS commissioning, unless you meet the specialist-referral criteria that allow access at BMI 30–34.9. Even then, the specialist service route is the gateway, not the GP surgery.

For people from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, UK guidance applies a threshold that is 2.5 kg/m² lower throughout, reflecting differences in health risk at lower BMIs. That adjustment is baked into the NHS England weight-management-injections guidance, which is worth reading alongside the NICE appraisal.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate their own access frameworks, so NHS availability and thresholds may differ if you live outside England. NHS criteria for semaglutide in those nations follow devolved commissioning decisions that don't always mirror TA875 exactly. If you're unsure where you stand, the NHS BMI criteria page for Wegovy sets out how the numbers translate in practice. You can also check how BMI thresholds affect NHS Wegovy access in more detail.

What NHS access looks like in practice — and where private treatment fits

Even if you meet every criterion on paper, NHS access to Wegovy is not simply a case of asking your GP. Referral to a specialist weight management service is needed, and waiting times for those services are long in most areas. The medicine is recommended for a fixed period within a structured programme, so the day-to-day experience looks quite different from a private prescription.

Private treatment through a regulated pharmacy works differently. A licensed prescriber assesses your medical history, weight, BMI and any relevant conditions, then decides whether a prescription is appropriate. There is no referral letter, no waiting list and no two-year cap imposed by a commissioning policy. The licensed eligibility criteria for private use follow the Wegovy SmPC: adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above alongside a weight-related health condition.

That's a notably broader population than the NHS threshold covers. For many people who don't meet the semaglutide NHS criteria, or who are on a waiting list and want to start sooner, private treatment is worth understanding alongside the NHS route. If you'd like to see what the private process involves and what it costs, the Wegovy treatment overview explains the journey from consultation to delivery. You might also find it useful to compare how the criteria for a private Wegovy prescription differ from the NHS thresholds.

What this decision really comes down to

The honest picture is that NHS Wegovy and private Wegovy are different products in terms of process, not pharmacology. The medicine is the same. What differs is who reviews your case, how long you wait, what support sits alongside the prescription, and how long you can stay on treatment.

If you meet the semaglutide NHS criteria, pursuing that route is worth exploring with your GP, even if the wait is frustrating. If you don't meet them, or if the specialist-service route isn't accessible to you right now, a regulated private pharmacy with a GPhC-registered prescriber is a legitimate, safe alternative. You can verify any online pharmacy on the GPhC register before handing over any personal details.

Understanding whether you can get Wegovy on the NHS is a useful first step either way. And if private treatment seems like the right path, you're welcome to explore how to buy Wegovy through a regulated service, or look at the full weight-loss treatment options our prescribers can review with you. Those already partway through their treatment journey and ready to move to the full maintenance dose can find out more about buying Wegovy 2.4 mg, the highest strength used in the programme.

Speak to our prescribers, it's a free consultation, and a real clinician reviews your answers, not a piece of software.