We are planning to start a small pilot in our service to introduce medication to support weight management. To start, access will be limited to a small number of patients who are already known to our service whilst we test this new pathway. Patients in this pilot cohort have already been identified and have been made aware. They will be contacted directly by the service once the pilot starts.
Until we have tested and evaluated the pilot, the Weight Management Service is still unable to take requests or accept referrals for obesity medicines at this time.
Why is access limited? These medicines need to be used safely and with the right support. This means people need a health check before starting, clear advice on how to use the medication and regular check-ins and monitoring. We are testing all of this during the pilot so we can offer the service safely to more people in future.
What happens next? We will use what we learn from the pilot to build the full LIMITLESS programme. Over the next three years, we will develop and test the service, including the digital platform. Any wider access to medication will depend on what we learn from the pilot, staffing and service capacity and national guidance. We will update this page when we have more information.
Three medicines are approved for use in NHS Scotland for managing weight in the treatment of obesity:
Liraglutide (Saxenda®)
Semaglutide (Wegovy®)
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®)
The Scottish Government has issued a consensus statement advising on national eligibility criteria for NHS in Scotland and to consider a phased implementation of the medicines:
NHS Lothian will be initiating a pilot to introduce and trial obesity medicines in our weight management service. Updates will be shared once we have evaluated the pilot.
Until we have tested and evaluated the pilot, the Weight Management Service is still unable to take requests or accept referrals for obesity medicines at this time.
Recent Headlines
- June 2026 – The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Wegovy®/semaglutide oral tablet for weight management in the UK. Whilst this tablet is approved for use in the UK, it is not available currently via the NHS. As with all new treatments, decisions on NHS use will follow established processes, including an evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).
- June 2026 – The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved the use of Wegovy®/semaglutide for patients living with obesity and pre-existing cardiovascular disease to prevent further cardiovascular events. This separate indication will need to be added to the NHS Lothian prescription list and prescribing pathways agreed before this will be able to be prescribed for cardiovascular reasons.
- April 2026 – The FDA approved the daily oral Foundayo®/orforglipron pill for obesity management in the US. Please note this has not yet been approved in the UK.
- December 2025 – The FDA approved the daily oral Wegovy®/semaglutide pill for obesity management in the US. Please note this has not yet been approved in the UK.
- September 2025 – If you have been affected by the price increase of Mounjaro®/tirzepatide we would recommend you contact your private prescriber in the first instance to discuss your options as we cannot advise on your private prescription. They will be able to advise on switching to alternative medicines if you are looking to consider this.
Diet & Lifestyle Advice for Obesity Medicines
If you are looking for evidence-based diet and lifestyle advice to support taking these medicines, please see the below links:
UPDATED – NHS Lothian Obesity Management Medications Advice Leaflet
Safety Information for Private Prescriptions
GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know – GOV.UK
NHS Inform – Diet and physical activity tips whilst taking weight loss medication
British Dietetic Association – Medications for Obesity Advice Leaflet
Weight Management Advice
If you wish to consider lifestyle advice in the meantime you can find more information about our other programmes and referral forms on our web page:-
Adult Weight Management and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Service – NHS Lothian | Our Service
Adult Weight Management and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Team
Woodlands House, Astley Ainslie Hospital, 74 Canaan Lane, Edinburgh, EH9 2TB
E-mail: loth.weightmanagement@nhs.scot
Telephone: 0131 537 9169
