NHS eligibility criteria
To get Wegovy on the NHS, you must meet the NICE guidance criteria (TA875) and be seen by a specialist weight-management service.1
- A BMI of 35 or above with at least one weight-related condition, or in some cases a BMI of 30 to 34.9 if you meet the criteria for referral to a specialist service
- A referral to a specialist NHS weight-management service, as GPs can’t prescribe Wegovy directly
- Evidence that you’ve already tried to lose weight through changes to diet and activity
- No medical reasons that make the medication unsuitable for you
For people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean backgrounds, the BMI thresholds are usually lowered by 2.5.1
Weight-related conditions that can qualify you at the lower BMI threshold include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea (interrupted breathing during sleep), heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and fatty liver disease.
Your GP will usually confirm these conditions before referring you on.
The reality of NHS access
NICE recommended Wegovy on the NHS in March 2023, but NHS access is still limited.1
It’s only available through specialist weight-management services, not directly from your GP, and the number of these services varies by area.
Second Nature runs one of these specialist (tier 3) services, and we take referrals from GP practices in 28 NHS areas in England. The section on our tier 3 service explains who can be referred and how.
Each Integrated Care Board funds its own services and sets its own local priorities, so waiting times differ widely, often running from several months to well over a year.
NHS treatment is also funded for up to 2 years within these specialist services, rather than indefinitely.1
On the NHS, the maximum dose of Wegovy is 2.4 mg a week. The MHRA approved a higher 7.2 mg dose in January 2026, but it isn’t funded on the NHS yet.4
How to apply, step by step
If you want to access Wegovy through the NHS, the pathway usually looks like this:
How to get Wegovy free through Second Nature’s NHS tier 3 service
Second Nature’s tier 3 service is funded by the NHS, so there’s no cost to you and no prescription charge for Wegovy. Patients in England can be referred to it from GP practices in 28 NHS areas (integrated care boards).
After you’re referred, our clinical team assesses you and decides whether Wegovy is suitable for you.
What is Right to Choose?
Right to Choose is your legal right in England to choose which NHS-approved provider your GP refers you to for certain services.8
It means you can ask your GP to refer you to Second Nature’s tier 3 service, as long as we take referrals in your area and your GP agrees the referral is clinically appropriate.
Who can be referred?
Each NHS area sets its own referral criteria, which can be stricter than NICE’s criteria for Wegovy.
In some areas, the threshold is a BMI of 35 or more with one weight-related condition, such as sleep apnoea or heart disease.
Areas that use the national criteria ask for a BMI of 40 or more, recorded in the past 12 months.
You also need at least four of these five conditions: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol or blood fat levels (dyslipidaemia), obstructive sleep apnoea, and heart or circulatory disease caused by narrowed arteries.
For people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, the BMI thresholds are 2.5 lower, so 37.5 instead of 40.
The national criteria also require you to have already taken part in a tier 2 service, which is a structured lifestyle weight-management programme, or something equivalent.
Reasons you can’t be referred include being under 18, being pregnant or breastfeeding, having had weight-loss surgery in the past two years, and living with an active or suspected eating disorder.
How to get referred
- Use the eligibility checker at the top of this page to see whether we take referrals in your area and whether you’re likely to meet its criteria.
- Download our referral guide, which explains the service and what to say to your GP, and book a GP appointment.
- Ask your GP to refer you to Second Nature for specialist weight management under Right to Choose. Your GP checks your medical record against your area’s criteria and sends the referral.
- Once we receive the referral, we’ll contact you to book your first video appointment.
What’s included
After the assessment, you’ll be offered one of two pathways:
- Medicated: if Wegovy is suitable for you, we prescribe it and deliver it to your home each month, with support from our dietitians and psychologists for up to 24 months.
- Non-medicated: a personalised plan covering your diet, eating behaviour and physical activity, with regular check-ins from your care team for up to 12 months.
Your care team includes consultant doctors, specialist dietitians, psychologists, pharmacists and exercise specialists, and appointments take place by video.
Guided activity sessions take place every two weeks, and the Second Nature app lets you track your weight, steps and sleep.
What to expect on NHS Wegovy
Wegovy is a once-a-week injection that you give yourself, usually in the stomach, thigh, or upper arm.2
You start at 0.25 mg a week, then increase the dose every 4 weeks up to the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg a week.2
Within specialist services, you can expect reviews every 1 to 3 months, with weight checks and support to manage side effects, though the amount of dietetic support varies by area.
Treatment usually continues only if you’ve lost at least 5% of your starting weight after 6 months.1
The most common side effects involve the digestive system, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting, and they affect more than 1 in 10 people.2
These are usually mild to moderate, most likely while your dose is being increased, and tend to ease as your body adjusts.2
Wegovy isn’t expected to make the contraceptive pill less effective, but if you could get pregnant, you’re advised to use contraception while you’re on it.2
Wegovy isn’t recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.2
How well Wegovy works
In the STEP 1 trial, people taking Wegovy 2.4 mg lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared with around 2.4% on placebo.3
Around 70% of people lost at least 10% of their body weight, and about a third lost at least 20%.3
The higher 7.2 mg dose, approved by the MHRA in January 2026, produced an average weight loss of 20.7% in the STEP UP trial, though it isn’t available on the NHS yet.4
These results come from trials where the medication was combined with changes to diet and activity levels, as it’s designed to be used.
What to do if you can’t get Wegovy on the NHS
Many people don’t meet the NHS criteria for Wegovy, face a long wait for a specialist service, and can’t afford to pay privately either. If that’s your situation, you still have several options.
- Ask your GP about a referral to an NHS specialist (Tier 3) weight-management service, which is how NHS Wegovy is prescribed. The NHS funds it, and you can ask to be referred to Second Nature’s Tier 3 service under Right to Choose if we take referrals in your area.
- Use the free checker below to see which other NHS weight-management programmes are available in your area. Some of these support weight loss without medication.
- If you’ve exhausted the options for getting a prescription, structured support without medication can still improve your health by helping you build healthy habits and a better relationship with food. Second Nature’s non-medicated programme costs £33 a month.
- If private medication is affordable, a private prescription avoids the NHS waiting list, as covered below.
This checker shows which NHS weight-management programmes you may qualify for in your area, including programmes that don’t use medication.
Whichever route you take, research suggests weight loss is more likely to last when medication is combined with lifestyle changes than when you try to introduce healthy habits without it.
Private alternatives
If you don’t meet the NHS criteria for weight-loss medication, or you’re facing a long wait, a private prescription is the main alternative.
Private routes include online providers, private clinics, and some private GP services, with Wegovy typically costing around £150 to £300 a month depending on the dose.
Private services differ in how much support they include. Some offer the medication with a basic online screening, while others combine it with ongoing clinical care and structured support.
When you’re comparing providers, check that the service:
- Is registered with the Care Quality Commission, and dispenses through a pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
- Gives you a proper clinical assessment, not just a quick online form
- Provides ongoing monitoring and a named person to contact between prescriptions
- Offers support to help you maintain your weight loss and prevent weight regain in the future
Second Nature has worked with the NHS for over eight years, combining Wegovy or Mounjaro with one-to-one support from registered dietitians designed to help you keep the weight off.
Take our 3-minute eligibility quiz, and a clinician will review your answers.
Take home message
Wegovy is available on the NHS, but access is limited by strict criteria, specialist capacity, and where you live, and the route runs through specialist weight-management services rather than your GP.
In England, you can ask your GP to refer you to Second Nature’s NHS tier 3 service under Right to Choose. There’s no cost to you, and our clinical team will assess whether Wegovy is suitable for you.
For people who qualify and can access a service, Wegovy can deliver significant weight loss at no medication cost beyond the standard prescription charge, with regular clinical monitoring.
If you don’t qualify or face a long waiting list, a private prescription offers faster access, at a monthly cost of £150-400 depending on the medication, dose, and provider.
To optimise results and prevent weight regain after using Wegovy, we recommend eating a diet based on whole foods that contains enough protein, fibre, fat, and complex carbohydrates, and limits ultra-processed foods.
Research suggests you’re more likely to avoid weight regain when Wegovy is combined with structured habit-change support than when it’s prescribed on its own.
Second Nature combines Wegovy or Mounjaro with the balanced-plate approach and one-to-one support from registered dietitians.
In our published evaluation of our private semaglutide-supported programme, members who kept an active subscription for 12 months had an average weight loss of 19.1%.7
Of the members with 12-month data, 77.7% lost at least 10% of their starting weight.7
Second Nature's Mounjaro and Wegovy programmes
Second Nature provides Mounjaro or Wegovy as part of our Mounjaro and Wegovy weight-loss programmes.
Why choose Second Nature over other medication providers, assuming you're eligible?
Because peace of mind matters.
We've had the privilege of working with the NHS for over eight years, helping people across the UK take meaningful steps toward a healthier, happier life.
Our programmes are designed to meet people where they are, whether that means support with weight loss through compassionate one-to-one health coaching, or access to the latest weight-loss medications (like Mounjaro and Wegovy) delivered alongside expert care from a multidisciplinary team of doctors, psychologists, dietitians, and personal trainers.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: real, lasting change comes from building better habits, not relying on quick fixes. We're here to support that change every step of the way.
With over a decade of experience, thousands of lives changed, and a long-standing record of delivering programmes used by the NHS, we believe we're the UK's most trusted weight-loss programme.
We hope to offer you something invaluable: peace of mind, and the support you need to take that first step.
Frequently asked questions
Do the NHS prescribe Wegovy?
Yes, but only through a specialist (Tier 3) weight-management service, not from your GP directly.1
Your GP can refer you to one of these services, which assesses you and prescribes Wegovy if it’s suitable. Second Nature runs one of these services, and you can ask your GP to refer you to it under Right to Choose.
Can I get Wegovy free through Second Nature on the NHS?
Yes, if you live in England, we take referrals from your area, and you meet your area’s criteria for our tier 3 service.
Your GP refers you under Right to Choose, and our clinical team then decides whether Wegovy is suitable for you. The service is funded by the NHS, so there’s no cost to you and no prescription charge for Wegovy.
What is Right to Choose?
Right to Choose is your legal right in England to choose which NHS-approved provider your GP refers you to for certain services, including specialist weight management.8
Your GP still decides whether a referral is clinically appropriate. Second Nature’s tier 3 service takes referrals from GP practices in 28 NHS areas in England.
How long is the NHS waiting list for Wegovy?
Waiting times vary a lot by area, from several months to over a year.
The wait includes both getting into a specialist weight-management service and, once you’re there, the assessment for medication.
Can my GP prescribe Wegovy?
Not directly on the NHS. GPs can refer you to a specialist weight-management service, which assesses you and prescribes Wegovy if it’s suitable.1
A GP who also works privately may be able to prescribe it outside the NHS.
How do I qualify for weight-loss injections on the NHS?
For Wegovy, you generally need a BMI of 35 or above with a weight-related condition (or 30 to 34.9 in some cases), a referral to a specialist service, and evidence that you’ve tried to lose weight through lifestyle changes previously.1
You also need no medical reasons that make the medication unsuitable.
Is Wegovy available on the NHS for type 2 diabetes?
Wegovy is licensed for weight management, not to treat type 2 diabetes.
The semaglutide medication licensed for type 2 diabetes is Ozempic, which contains the same drug at lower doses.
How much does Wegovy cost on the NHS?
The medication itself is funded by the NHS.
In England, you’ll pay the standard prescription charge of £9.90 per item; in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, prescriptions are free.
If you’re referred to Second Nature’s tier 3 service, you won’t pay a prescription charge for Wegovy.
How much does private Wegovy cost?
Privately, Wegovy typically costs around £150 to £300 a month, depending on the dose and the provider.
What if I’m not eligible for NHS Wegovy and can’t afford it privately?
You have options that don’t involve paying for private medication.
Ask your GP about a referral to an NHS specialist (Tier 3) weight-management service, which is how NHS Wegovy is prescribed, and you can ask to be referred to Second Nature’s tier 3 service under Right to Choose if we take referrals in your area.
You can also use the checker in the section on what to do if you can’t get Wegovy on the NHS to see which other NHS programmes you may qualify for, or consider structured support without medication, which costs less. Second Nature’s non-medicated programme is £33 a month.
What’s the difference between Wegovy and Mounjaro?
In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial, Mounjaro produced an average weight loss of 20.2% compared with 13.7% for Wegovy at the 2.4 mg dose over 72 weeks.5
Mounjaro mimics two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, whereas Wegovy mimics only GLP-1, which likely explains its higher average weight loss.
Wegovy’s higher 7.2 mg dose produced an average weight loss of 20.7% in a separate trial, though it hasn’t been directly compared with Mounjaro.4
Wegovy is also the only weight-loss injection with a heart-health benefit recognised on its UK label, based on the SELECT trial, and can be prescribed for people living with cardiovascular disease.6
What are the side effects of Wegovy?
The most common are digestive, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting, affecting more than 1 in 10 people.2
They’re usually mild to moderate, most likely while your dose is increasing, and tend to ease as your body adjusts to the medication.2
Will I regain weight after stopping Wegovy?
If you stop taking Wegovy suddenly without building habits to manage hunger naturally, you’re likely to regain some weight because your appetite tends to return to where it was.
We recommend coming off the medication gradually and using your time on it to build healthy lifestyle habits that will help you maintain a lower weight long term.
Our free weight regain prevention planner provides a personalised plan to help you prevent weight regain if you’re coming off GLP-1 medications.
Are weight-loss injections addictive?
Weight-loss injections aren’t inherently addictive.
However, because they reduce hunger and quieten food noise, it may be challenging to stop them in the future if you haven’t developed habits to manage hunger naturally.
In that situation, some people may feel dependent on the medication to manage their weight.
But obesity is a chronic condition, and many people may need to be on these medications for the long term to help them manage it.
Our wider guide explains which weight-loss injections are available on the NHS. If you don’t meet the criteria, compare the current cost of Wegovy and private prescription options, or use our GLP-1 BMI calculator.
