Who can get weight loss injections on the NHS in 2025–26?

Which medicines are actually available on the NHS for weight loss?

Two injectable GLP-1 medicines currently hold NICE approval for NHS prescription in England. Tirzepatide, branded as Mounjaro, was recommended in December 2024 under NICE technology appraisal TA1026. Semaglutide, branded as Wegovy, was recommended earlier under TA875. They are not interchangeable on the NHS, each sits within its own eligibility framework and access pathway.

Ozempic is also semaglutide, but it is licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight management. It is not a route to NHS weight loss treatment and should not be conflated with Wegovy. Neither medicine is available over the counter; both are prescription-only and require a formal clinical assessment before they can be dispensed.

Outside England, criteria differ. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own commissioning decisions, so thresholds and waiting times vary by nation. If you're in Northern Ireland, NHS access in Northern Ireland is governed by separate guidance worth checking directly.

What BMI and health conditions do you need to qualify?

For tirzepatide (Mounjaro) on the NHS, NICE TA1026 requires a BMI of 35 or above, plus at least one weight-related comorbidity from a specific list: high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, or type 2 diabetes. That threshold is 2.5 kg/m² lower for adults from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, so 32.5 and above, roughly.

For semaglutide (Wegovy) under TA875, the BMI thresholds are similar but the access route differs. NICE recommends it only within a specialist weight management service, with multidisciplinary support, and for a maximum of two years. NHS England quotes 32.5 as the lower threshold for the ethnic-background adjustment here too.

The NHS BMI calculator is a useful starting point if you want to check where you sit, you can find it through the NHS BMI tool before speaking to your GP.

How is the NHS rollout working in practice?

Access is being introduced in phases rather than all at once, because demand far outstrips supply. For tirzepatide, the phased cohorts look like this based on NHS England's interim commissioning guidance:

From June 2025: adults with a BMI of 40 or above, plus four or more of the five qualifying conditions.
From June 2026 (Cohort 2, activated 23 June 2026): adults with a BMI of 35–39.9, plus four or more conditions.
From around March 2027: BMI 40 or above with three qualifying conditions.

From 1 April 2026, GP practices may prescribe under the new GP contract, but participation is optional, so availability varies by practice and area. Every patient must also take part in wrap-around lifestyle support (diet and activity guidance) as a condition of receiving the medicine. Meeting the BMI and condition criteria does not by itself guarantee access; your practice or specialist service must also be commissioned and have capacity.

Wegovy is available through specialist weight management services under TA875, but those services tend to carry long waiting lists in most parts of England. For a fuller picture of how to get a weight loss injection on the NHS, including what to ask your GP, that page covers the practical steps.

What if you don't meet the NHS criteria, or can't wait?

This is the question a lot of people reach eventually, and it's a fair one. If your BMI is 30–34, or you have fewer than four qualifying conditions, or your GP practice hasn't joined the new contract scheme, there is currently no NHS route open to you for tirzepatide, even if the medicine would otherwise be appropriate. Many people in this position also wonder whether they can get weight loss injections on the NHS at all, given how much the eligibility rules have changed in a short space of time. For semaglutide via a specialist service, referral waiting times in many areas run to months or longer.

A regulated private pharmacy is the alternative. Private prescribing follows the same licensed eligibility as the NHS (adults, BMI 30 or above, or 27-plus with a weight-related condition) but without the cohort phasing or waiting lists. The clinical assessment still happens; a prescriber still decides suitability. The private weight loss injection route simply removes the queue. Cost is the obvious trade-off, if you'd like context on what private treatment involves and what drives pricing, the private prescription process page explains what's included.

At nume, every consultation is read the same day by a real GPhC-registered prescriber, not a questionnaire system. If you're eligible and suitable, treatment is dispatched the same day and delivered free the next working day. Our clinical team reviews each case individually, including transfers from other providers. If you'd like to find out whether you qualify for private treatment, speak to our prescribers, the consultation is free and carries no obligation.