Parents’ dismay at strict limits on drug treatment
Hospitals to recruit private wardens in parking crackdown
Scotland’s largest health board is to crack down on unauthorised parking at hospitals by bringing in private wardens
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has asked private firms to bid for a “car parking management services” contract which just want access to the treatment as quickly as possible and we need to get this situation sorted.”
Up to 7,000 children suffer with epilepsy in Scotland, and Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said last night: “It’s deeply disappointing this treatment is being restricted. “There are up to 500 children who could benefit from this medication. It won’t work for every one of them but clinicians should feel free to prescribe this medication as and when they see fit, not politicians.” Edinburgh mum Karen Gray gathered 250,000 signatures for a petition to persuade Home Office Minister Sajid Javid to legalise the medicinal use of cannabis for childhood epilepsy.
Her son Murray, aged six, was given the drug on compassionate covers several NHS sites, including the Royal Infirmary. The health board said that the winning bidder will have “total management of unauthorised parking notices”.
Shadow health minister Miles Briggs MSP and the grounds, and Karen said:
“I think we’re the only Scottish family I know who have been given Epidiolex.
“Families shouldn’t have to fight to get treatment that can save their child from dying or make their life easier. What kind of world are we living in when treatment that can help so many is being restricted to so few?” GW Pharmaceuticals have been making the drug available to 210 children in the UK free of charge on “compassionate grounds” and through an “early access programme”.
Chris Tovey, the firm’s chief operational officer, said: “We deeply empathise with patients and families desperately seeking treatment options.”
The Scottish Government said: “As with all prescribing, it is a clinical decision to determine what medication is best for a patient.”
Leslie Young, chief executive of Epilepsy Scotland, said: “We applaud the introduction of any new treatment that can help but families should not take risks.” Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland said the plans will bring “more misery” for nurses. Last week The Sunday Post told how staff at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital in Dundee paid up to £2.7 million a year to park while at work. Norman Provan of RCN Scotland said: “Nursing is already a stressful job; the health board should do all it can to ensure that parking is not something which causes additional and unnecessary worry.”
Miles Briggs MSP said the move “will represent yet more misery for hardworking NHS staff”. A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the contract will help prevent “inappropriate parking on our hospital sites”.