Fresh hope for Edinburgh mum fighting for NHS Cannabis oils prescription

30 July 2019, 06:00

A mum from Edinburgh is hoping today will be the day she wins her six month fight to get an NHS prescription for Cannabis oils.

Karen Gray has been smuggling medicine over from the Netherlands to give to her six-year-old epileptic son Murray.

Back in January, Murray was admitted to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh when his seizures became so severe he couldn't continue with normal life.

Karen has previously told Heart she feared Murray 'would die'.

After her son was discharged Karen started giving Murray does of Bedrolite, a Cannabis based medicine.

She started making trips to the Netherlands where she would bring back two months worth of the drug.

Every trip would cost around £1,500, a fraction of the price of buying the drug through a private prescription.

Karen is now importing the oils legally, but the family say they're crippled by the cost which can be as much as £160 for a four day supply in the UK.

However, the family are meeting with a neurologist today with the hope that he will finally end their six month fight for an NHS prescription.

Speaking to Heart, Karen said: "In the past, Murray's neurologist hasn't been very keen on prescribing this.

"However, now Murray has been seven weeks seizure free.

"The proof is there, right in front of him. Murray isn't having seizures and that is down to the Cannabis oils.

"All of the other medication Murray has been on caused horrific side effects and didn't help his seizures. This is the only thing that has helped.

"The right thing to do would be to prescribe this for Murray. We shouldn't have to keep paying out £1,500 a month for this medicine.

"The NHS should be helping us out, the doctor should be helping us out, and they should see that this is the best thing for Murray."

The Scottish Government that they will not stand in the way if he decides to write an NHS prescription for Murray.

A spokesperson said: "The decision on whether to prescribe any medicine for a patient, and which medicine to prescribe, is entirely one for clinicians to make. Ministers can never over-rule clinical judgement and it is not for the Scottish Government to intervene in prescribing decisions.

"If a clinician were to prescribe an approved Cannabis Based Product for Medicinal Use using an NHS prescription then it would be dispensed free of charge in Scotland.

"The Cabinet Secretary has been consistently clear on this and has continually expressed her understanding of the very difficult situation any parent will face in such circumstances however a patient's clinician remains best placed to come to an informed view about the most appropriate treatment, including the decision whether to prescribe CBPMs."