EDM: NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Tabled by Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour) 35 signatures

The motion

That this House notes the law change of 2018 which allows the prescription of medical cannabis under the direction of specialist doctors; recognises that this law change was in large part achieved by the campaigning efforts of Hannah Deacon on behalf of her then 6 year old son Alfie Dingley from whom medical cannabis is the only medication shown to eliminate his drug resistant epileptic seizures; is concerned that due to a variety of systemic factors, access to medical cannabis under prescription on the NHS remains extremely limited and as a result, many families are required to fund treatment privately at significant and ongoing cost; acknowledges that planned Randomised Controlled Trials to gain further evidence of efficacy and safety are some years away and are not suitable for the cohort already on the medicine; highlights that Hannah Deacon continued to campaign for these other families until her untimely and tragic death aged just 45 years; and calls on the Government to fund an Observational Trial for the cohort as a means of enabling the children and young people to receive the life-changing medication at no cost.

Signatories (35)