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Despite having been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland several years ago, weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy have been prescribed to fewer than 800 patients across the country, according to a BBC News investigation. Although private prescriptions for these drugs have increased dramatically, fewer than half of Scotland’s health boards currently offer these treatments via NHS schemes, and when they do, it is generally through small pilot projects. This limited access has drawn criticism from leading doctors, who consider the situation discriminatory and believe it exacerbates existing health inequalities.
The Scottish government has emphasized that these medications are just one option within a broader range of obesity treatments, with decisions about their availability left to individual health boards. A significant proportion of the population—around one-third of Scots—are classified as obese, a condition linked to serious health risks including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy, which suppress appetite by making patients feel full sooner, have been used extensively for type 2 diabetes treatment for many years. However, their use specifically for weight loss remains restricted and subject to pilot schemes in only some areas.
Of the 14 health boards across Scotland, only NHS Forth Valley, NHS Borders, NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Western Isles, and the NHS State Hospital reported prescribing these injections as part of their pilot programs. Together, they had administered the drugs to 705 patients by September 2026. Meanwhile, it is estimated that around 300,000 people are accessing these medications through private providers, which raises concerns within the health community about the lack of professional support accompanying these treatments. The pilot in Forth Valley, for instance, involves regular monitoring by pharmacists and dietitians to ensure safe and effective use. Patients selected for this program must meet strict eligibility criteria, including having a BMI of 40 or above along with multiple serious medical issues or requiring major surgery.
One such patient is Kathleen McLaughlin from Laurieston, who was referred to NHS Forth Valley’s program by her gynaecologist because her weight was too high for necessary surgery to proceed safely. Kathleen, 54, had struggled with weight loss for years and suffers from arthritis and mobility challenges. She expressed gratitude for the NHS program, which has helped her lose four stone since April, significantly improving her physical and mental health. She explained that she did not want to pursue private treatment without adequate medical support: “I didn’t want to go down that route without having somebody by my side to guide me through it.” Despite the
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