Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the geographical differences that exist across England in the prescription of Sativex, which is used to treat moderate to severe spasticity in MS.
The latest guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) recommend Sativex to treat moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis, if other pharmacological treatments for spasticity are not effective. The decision on whether to prescribe must be taken by a specialist clinician on a case by case basis and funding of this medicine is subject to local National Health Service decisions. On 6 September, NHS England issued a reminder to clinical commissioning groups of the NICE guidance relating to Sativex and their responsibilities and will be monitoring uptake.