Scottish families demand financial support for cannabis oil medicine

Scottish families are demanding that the Scottish government end their financial hardship by supporting them through a reimbursement fund for ‘life saving’ cannabis oils.

Murray in hospital

The families of Scottish children whose lives have been blighted by a range of severe seizures are demanding that the Scottish Government end their financial hardship by supporting them through a reimbursement fund for ‘life saving’ cannabis oils.

But the Scottish government is adamant in refusing this request.

This has left one Edinburgh family furious as they rely on the goodwill of others to treat their drug resistant-epileptic child.

The life saving oils that are costing families thousands.

It was confirmed last week that a deal had been reached for Dutch firm, Transvaal pharmacy, to continue to provide prescriptions for Bedica and Bedrolite to Scottish children suffering from epilepsy - something that was put under threat by Brexit.

And although families have welcomed this news - they are pleading with the Scottish government to help them in securing funding for the treatments.

Karen Gray, 46, from East Craigs, said that this is fast becoming a class issue. Those that have money can keep their children alive but those that cannot afford the treatment must watch their children’s lives slowly slip away.

She said: “We have had to rely on the extreme generosity of family members, friends and strangers to fund Murray’s oils but our fundraising efforts have been severely hampered by Covid-19.

Murray healthy after accessing the oils

“I carried out a cost analysis over the course of a calendar year, using lower costs where possible, and came to the conclusion that in a calendar year Murray is saving NHS Scotland around £98,000 - this rises to £150,000 overall.

“It seems madness that the Scottish government would rather spend this amount instead of the £25,000 that we have spent as a family. Murray spent 242 days in hospital between January 2018- April 2019.

“I am pleading for the Scottish government to follow the lead of the Irish government and set up a fund to help finance these life saving oils.”

In response, a Scottish government spokesperson, said:“Our health system, the NHS, is a publicly funded service and it would not be appropriate to redirect that public funding from the health service in Scotland to private care.”

Peter Carroll, spokesman for campaign group End our Pain, welcomed the breakthrough by the British and Dutch governments but said that a permanent solution must be found.

He added: “Just solving this isn't enough because funding remains a critical issue.

“Surely to God there must be a way to fund these private prescriptions at least in the short term to get the dreadful financial pressure of the parents.

“The UK is the largest exporter of medical cannabis in the world and we have vulnerable children in the UK denied access.

“We are pleading with the First Minister of Scotland to step in and set up an emergency compassionate access fund.

Murray’s local MP, Christine Jardine, said: “It’s ridiculous that they are not stepping in but instead leaving Murray’s family to raise funds to cover the cost of keeping him well.”

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