Are Weight Loss Injections Available on the NHS? (October 2026)

01 · The core answer

Are weight loss jabs available on the NHS right now?

Yes, the weight loss jab is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in and the highest-need groups come first. Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years.⁶ NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁴

Full rollout is expected to take years. That is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. Our guide to Mounjaro on the NHS for weight loss goes deeper on the eligibility steps.

02 · Which medicines

Which weight loss injections are available on the NHS?

The injections people ask about most are Mounjaro and Wegovy, and they are reached by different routes.

For a wider look at the options, see our overview of the weight loss drugs available on the NHS.

03 · Your decision

What should you do next?

Start by checking where you sit against the NHS criteria, then decide whether to wait or go private. If you meet the NHS criteria, speak to your GP and ask whether your practice has started offering tirzepatide. If you do not meet them, or you do not want to wait, the licensed private route is open to a wider group.

If you are weighing up private treatment, our weight loss clinic explains how the consultation works. Cost is the other half of that decision: your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40 (standard price £169.99), and the Mounjaro pen page shows every dose, with all six doses in stock. Prices checked 10 October 2026.

04 · NHS eligibility explained

Who qualifies for NHS weight loss injections?

NHS eligibility is narrower than the medicine's licence, and it starts with those who would benefit most. NICE recommends Mounjaro for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition.⁴ The primary-care rollout began with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁶

Because the rollout is phased, meeting the NICE criteria does not mean your practice can prescribe straight away. Your GP is the best person to tell you where your area is up to. Our page on when Mounjaro will be available on the NHS tracks the wider timeline question, and the NHS prescription guide covers how a prescription is issued.

People from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds are at higher risk of weight- related health problems at a lower BMI, so clinical thresholds are usually reduced by 2.5 kg/m² for these groups.⁴

Living in Scotland? Arrangements can differ by nation, so read our guide to Mounjaro on NHS Scotland.

05 · Private licensed criteria

What are the private prescribing criteria?

Private prescribing follows the medicine's licence, which is broader than the NHS priority groups. Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.¹ It must be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

A prescriber will assess your BMI, medical history and current medicines before deciding whether it is suitable for you.¹¹ At EverydayMeds, the free consultation is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, and unsuitable orders are refunded automatically.

Mounjaro is not suitable for everyone. You should not take it if you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of its ingredients, and it should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive.¹³ Your prescriber will take extra care, or may recommend against treatment, if you have a history of pancreatitis, severe gut or digestive disease, diabetic retinopathy, or gallbladder problems. If you become pregnant during treatment, stop the medicine and tell your prescriber promptly; it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive.

06 · How the medicine works

How do these injections work?

Mounjaro is a once-weekly injectable medicine containing tirzepatide, made by Eli Lilly. Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin.¹ In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.

This dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic).¹ Liraglutide, by contrast, is a daily injection supplied at 6mg/ml, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

07 · What results look like

What results can you expect?

Weight loss on Mounjaro is gradual by design, whether it is prescribed on the NHS or privately. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² These are trial averages, so individual results vary.

The first weeks on 2.5mg are an adjustment phase and losses are usually modest; most measurable progress builds from 5mg onward, month by month.¹ Think in months, not days, and judge progress by trend, not individual weigh-ins.

Treatment response is reviewed by your prescriber: if you have lost less than 5% of your starting weight after 6 months on the highest dose you can tolerate, your prescriber will discuss whether continuing or stopping is right for you.¹

08 · Dosing and pace

How is treatment started and increased?

Everyone starts Mounjaro on 2.5mg once a week, and this starting dose is about letting your body adjust, not about weight loss itself.¹ After at least 4 weeks the dose increases to 5mg, and can then step up by 2.5mg at a minimum of 4-week intervals (7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg) up to a maximum of 15mg weekly, depending on how you respond and tolerate it.

Many people settle at a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg. Higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the right pace. Altering doses outside the licence means unknown dosing accuracy and no safety data.¹

09 · If you do not qualify

What if you do not qualify yet?

If you do not meet the current NHS criteria, you still have options that do not depend on a waiting list. NHS access is being phased in over several years, so a lower BMI or fewer conditions may mean a longer wait.⁶ In the meantime, your GP can discuss lifestyle support and local weight-management services.

Some people choose regulated private treatment while they wait. If you do, check the pharmacy on the GPhC register (ours is GPhC 9012878), and be wary of anyone offering to supply without a consultation or prescription. Our overview of how to access weight loss injections in the UK compares the routes, and the guide to the healthiest weight loss injections helps you weigh the choices.

Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. It is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.