In light of the Scottish Medicines Consortium's decision in June 2026 to approve the use of semaglutide (Wegovy) to reduce the risk of majo…

The Scottish Government is determined to reduce avoidable cardiovascular deaths by a fifth over 20 years by ensuring people receive timely and high-quality care. Obesity medicines, such as semaglutide (Wegovy ®,) offer an effective treatment for obesity and cardiovascular disease, as part of a range of interventions for eligible patients, used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.The Scottish Government published a national consensus statement in September 2024, to support Health Boards to consider how best to implement these obesity medicines. It is a matter for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine within their services in order to meet the needs of their local population in a safe and clinically appropriate way. This includes determining which criteria they apply in prescribing obesity medicines to individuals, and for taking appropriate phased steps to make them available across their services.The Scottish Government regularly engages with obesity experts and stakeholders from NHS health boards through a range of forums to share learning and support access to these medicines for people living with obesity in Scotland. We are delivering additional programmes to support these people, including the digital Type 2 Diabetes remission programme, which will support up to 3000 patients to achieve remission by 2029 across Scotland.