A new survey of NHS doctors has highlighted a growing demand for alternative treatment options for complex health issues such as chronic pain and women’s health-related concerns.
Out of 500 doctors currently practicing in the NHS, almost half of which were GPs, three quarters said that treatment options for women’s health conditions, such as endometriosis, PMDD and menopause, are too limited.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds (67%) say patients with chronic pain conditions take up the vast majority of their week and feel there are too few options for treating patients with conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis and back pain.
The poll also highlighted concerns about the overprescribing and long-term use of opioids, with three-quarters (75%) of doctors believing that typical treatments for chronic pain have worrying long-term side effects, and the majority saying the UK is over-reliant on these to manage chronic pain symptoms.
When asked about the type of alternative treatment they believe should be available, almost nine in 10 (87%) doctors agreed that they’d be open to prescribing medical cannabis to manage chronic pain, and 80% of GPs would prescribe it to manage women’s health conditions, if it were part of the NHS toolkit.
Dr Nikki Ramskill, a GP and founder of The Female Health Doctor Clinic, highlighted the “urgent need” for more “tailored treatments” for conditions such as endometriosis, PMDD and chronic pelvic pain, with existing options rarely addressing the “underlying cause”.
“Too often, women are offered antidepressants or painkillers as a default, despite symptoms being hormonal, inflammatory or complex in origin,” she says.
“These medications rarely address the underlying cause. Part of the problem is the historic lack of research into female health, and limited training for healthcare professionals in this area. Combined with long NHS waiting times, many women are left suffering in silence. We need a more personalised, better-informed approach to truly meet women’s healthcare needs.”
“Women deserve to know about it”
Waiting lists for gynaecological appointments have more than doubled since 2020, and as a result, an increasing number of women are looking for alternative or complementary treatments. The UK medical cannabis clinic, Alternaleaf, which conducted the survey, says it has issued thousands of prescriptions to treat women’s health conditions over the past 12 months.
Kirstie Baker says medical cannabis helped manage her menopause symptoms. Photo: Alternaleaf.
Kirstie Baker, 56, from Cardiff, was battling acute menopause symptoms after undergoing a hysterectomy. Despite reaching out for help, the treatment options offered by her GP left her feeling worse.
“They gave me antidepressants like Sertraline and Venlafaxine, but they didn’t work,” Kirstie says.
“I felt woozy, hungover, not myself. It was chemical chaos in my body. I did try oestrogen patches, but because of the hysterectomy, it wasn’t enough.”
Like many women, Kirstie had received little to no information about what to expect during menopause.
“Nobody talks about it, ” she says.
“I thought I was going mad. I didn’t even realise what was happening until a friend said, ‘You sound like you’re starting perimenopause.’”
In 2024, Kirstie discovered medical cannabis following a recommendation from her nephew, who was going through cancer treatment.
“It worked from the very first day,” she says.
“I medicate in the morning, giving me calm and clarity. I can think before I act again. At night, I medicate, and I sleep through, which means I wake up rested and ready for the day. It’s like I’ve come out the other side. My husband even said, ‘I’ve got my wife back.’”
Today, Kirstie says she feels like herself again, calmer, clearer, and more in control.
“We need to talk about menopause more, what it really does to women, how lonely and misunderstood it can be,” she adds.
“And we need to talk about medical cannabis, too. If I hadn’t heard about it through my nephew, I’d still be suffering. This medicine gave me back my peace of mind. It gave my family their mum and wife back. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and women deserve to know about it.”
Access and awareness
Recent data shows significant growth in the number of private prescriptions in the UK (Over 130% increased from 23-24) but fewer than five patients have been able to access a prescription through the NHS.
“Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018, yet awareness remains low and access through the NHS is virtually non-existent,” commented Nabila Chaudhri, Medical Director at Alternaleaf.
“Greater awareness of medical cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain could help to widen access and provide greater support for both patients and clinicians.”
Dr Chaudri adds: “This research also highlights the urgent need for greater awareness and access to alternative treatments for women’s health conditions. With thousands of women in the UK waiting for treatment of gynaecological conditions, many are living with debilitating pain which is severely impacting their daily lives and even their ability to work.
“With improved access, medical cannabis could help to significantly reduce NHS waiting lists for women’s health concerns, and provide much-needed relief for millions of women in the UK.”
The post 80% of NHS Doctors Would Prescribe Medical Cannabis, UK Poll Finds appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
Continue reading...
