Who Is Eligible for Weight Loss Injections on the NHS?

What BMI and conditions does the NHS actually require?

The NHS does not prescribe weight loss injections on the basis of BMI alone. For tirzepatide (Mounjaro), NICE's appraisal TA1026 recommends it only for adults who have a BMI of at least 35 and at least one qualifying weight-related condition from a list of five: high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, or type 2 diabetes.

The number of those conditions that must be present changes depending on where the phased rollout stands. From June 2025, people with a BMI of 40 or above and four or more of those five conditions became eligible first. Cohort 2, activated on 23 June 2026, extended access to people with a BMI between 35 and 39.9 who also have four or more qualifying conditions. A further expansion, expected around March 2027, will cover people with a BMI of 40 or above who have three or more conditions.

If you are unsure how your BMI compares, the NHS BMI calculator gives you a figure based on your height and weight. Bear in mind that the thresholds are 2.5 kg/m² lower for people of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds under current UK guidance, so a threshold of 35 becomes 32.5 for those groups.

For semaglutide (Wegovy), NICE's earlier guidance (TA875) limits NHS prescribing to specialist weight management services, for a maximum of two years, and requires a BMI of at least 35 with at least one weight-related condition. The ethnic-background adjustment applies here too.

Who decides whether you actually get a prescription?

Meeting the numbers on paper is a starting point, not a guarantee. The NHS weight loss injection pathway requires every patient to take part in wrap-around diet and activity support alongside the medicine. That is a genuine condition of the prescription, not a formality.

From 1 April 2026, GP practices can prescribe tirzepatide directly under the new QOF contract, but participation is optional and varies by practice and ICB area. Some practices are enrolled; others are not. If your GP is not yet participating, you would need a referral to a specialist weight management service, where waiting lists in many areas run to months or longer.

A useful starting point is to check whether your practice is taking part, which you can ask about directly. Our dedicated page on NHS provision covers how the GP prescribing route works in more detail. The short version: eligibility on paper and access in practice are two different things, and the gap between them can be frustrating.

What if you do not meet the NHS criteria?

Most people asking about weight loss injections on the NHS will not qualify today. Either their BMI falls below the current threshold, or they have fewer than the required number of conditions, or their cohort has not yet been activated. That is the honest reality, and it is worth knowing early so you can make an informed decision about your options.

A regulated private clinic or pharmacy is the alternative route. Private prescribing follows the licensed eligibility in the medicines' summaries of product characteristics: adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above with at least one weight-related condition. The bar is lower than the NHS threshold because private prescribing does not require the same phased-rollout criteria. You still need a genuine clinical assessment from a registered prescriber, these are prescription-only medicines and no legitimate service will supply them without one.

If you want to understand what a private assessment involves, our weight loss treatments page explains the process from consultation through to delivery. For a closer look at how eligibility is assessed, this guide to injection eligibility covers both NHS and private criteria side by side.

One thing worth knowing: if you order before 12pm on a working day and your consultation is approved, treatment is dispatched the same afternoon and arrives the next working day via DPD. The time between deciding and starting can be shorter than most people expect.

Is there any way to check your eligibility before going further?

The quickest self-check is your BMI and your medical history. If your BMI is above 35 and you have been diagnosed with two or more of the five qualifying conditions, you may fall within current or near-future NHS eligibility; it is worth asking your GP directly. NHS England's guidance on weight management injections sets out the criteria in full and is updated as new cohorts activate.

For private eligibility, the assessment is more straightforward. Our prescribers review your health information and current medications, verify your identity and weight, and make a clinical decision based on the licensed criteria and your individual picture. You can find more on what that process looks like on the eligibility checker page or by reading about who can get weight loss injections under current UK guidance.

If you have questions before committing to anything, our FAQs cover the most common ones, and if you would like a fuller picture of how the funded programme works, our guide to weight loss injections on the NHS brings together everything from eligibility to how to start the conversation with your GP. Our clinical team is available seven days a week, and you can speak to our prescribers through a free consultation if you would like a personalised assessment of where you stand.