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Sativex in the news

You may have seen in the news recently that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved Sativex (a cannabis based medicinal spray) to be widely available on the NHS in England for people with MS who experience muscle spasms, when other treatments haven’t worked.

We’ve been campaigning for access to Sativex across the UK. A couple of months ago, hundreds of people with MS shared their experiences with NICE about why medicinal cannabis is so important. It’s brilliant NICE has finally listened.

While these guidelines are a good step, they don’t go far enough.

This announcement doesn’t come with funding, meaning access in England will depend on local NHS funding decisions. And there are still no cannabis based medicines available on the NHS to treat pain, something that needs to change. We also want to see Sativex available on the NHS for patients in Scotland and Northern Ireland, like it is in Wales and now England.

We won’t stop campaigning until everyone with MS who could benefit from medicinal cannabis can access it on the NHS across the UK.

For more information about this and how to talk to your healthcare professional or join the campaign, see the update on our website.

If you volunteer with people living with MS who have questions or concerns please direct them to our website for more information or to our MS Helpline on 0808 800 8000.