There have been only three NHS prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines to treat children with severe epilepsy, two years after the government changed the law to make it easier for doctors to prescribe the drugs, campaigners claim.
Families of children affected by epilepsy say more needs to be done to increase the availability of the treatments for children who can suffer hundreds of seizures a day.
The law was changed after high-profile campaigning by the parents of Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell in 2018.
But since then its thought there have been only three prescriptions for medicines containing CBD and THC active ingredients – two of which include Alfie and Billy.
Epilepsy Action and campaign group End Our Pain say the lack of NHS prescriptions is leaving families struggling and children suffering with severe epilepsy symptoms. Many are paying thousands of pounds to fund their own prescriptions.
Health secretary Matt Hancock asked the NHS to carry out a review of barriers…
