Methodology
How we compare NHS and private treatment.
NICE criteria vs NHS access
We deliberately separate a NICE recommendation from real-world access. NHS England's current tirzepatide implementation uses phased primary-care cohorts and local ICB delivery models, while specialist weight-management services use the broader NICE-eligible cohort subject to prescribing approval and resource prioritisation.
England vs the UK
NHS England guidance is not a universal description of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Where a route depends on commissioning or prescription charges, this site labels the England-specific context rather than pretending one answer applies nationally.
Private does not mean unregulated
Private medicines remain prescription-only and need proper clinical assessment. NHS England's 2026 commissioning guidance cites updated GPhC guidance: high-risk weight-management prescribing should not rely solely on an online questionnaire and relevant information should be independently verified.
Why we do not hard-code private prices
Provider prices change by medicine, dose, consultation model and time. The calculator therefore uses the user's actual quoted monthly, setup and recurring-extra costs rather than publishing stale “typical” prices.
Cost score
The lower-cost rating reflects direct treatment fees, not the value of someone's time, travel, lost earnings or health cost of waiting. Those are individual factors and should not be disguised as objective pounds.
Speed score
Private care generally scores higher for potential speed, but this is not a waiting-time guarantee. NHS and private capacity both vary.
Quality
We do not assume NHS care is automatically high quality or private care automatically superior. The framework compares monitoring, continuity, support, record integration and access.
Built for informed decisions. Our health content is evidence-led, regularly reviewed, and designed to explain options clearly without pretending a website can replace clinical assessment.
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