UK medical hashish charity, Sapphire Medical Basis, has secured new funding to assist entry to prescriptions throughout the cost-of-living disaster.
From Wednesday 31 August, UK and Channel Island residents can apply for a grant to completely assist their medical hashish prescription, within the second grant spherical of 2022.
These chosen who meet the eligibility standards to entry medical hashish prescriptions and clinic appointments can be paid for by the Sapphire Medical Foundation for at least one 12 months.
Medical hashish was legalised for prescription in 2018 throughout the UK, since then the expansion in affected person numbers paying privately for therapy has risen exponentially.
Eligible sufferers can search therapy for situations together with continual ache, neuropathic ache, generalised nervousness dysfunction and fibromyalgia.
There are estimated to be virtually 20,000 sufferers now legally prescribed the therapy through personal clinics, equivalent to Sapphire Medical Clinics.
Sapphire Medical Basis
The associated fee related to prescriptions for medical hashish generally is a barrier to what’s for some individuals a life-changing treatment.
Because of this, some sufferers are confronted with the choice between prioritising their well being or different requirements – by no means extra so than within the present financial squeeze with the cost-of-living disaster.
Sapphire Medical Basis’s mission is to cut back the financial obstacles of entry to medical hashish. It was based to alleviate monetary difficulties that may have an effect on people who’re unable to afford the prices related to medical hashish prescriptions.
No different charity within the UK exists with the only function of assuaging the financial burden that comes with cannabis-based therapy. Thus, the Sapphire Medical Basis presents the one professional possibility for medical hashish entry for lots of, if not 1000’s of people.
The Basis recognises that within the present financial local weather individuals can be pressured into making tough choices between their well being and different requirements, so they’re glad to have the ability to report that they can open a grant spherical for the second time this 12 months.
Kirran Gill was the primary affected person within the UK to obtain assist from the Sapphire Medical Basis for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and nervousness and says that due to therapy, her ache ranges have been considerably simpler to handle and the extreme uncomfortable side effects from utilizing standard therapy (equivalent to opioids) are much less extreme.
Moreover, her urge for food, nausea, nervousness, and general temper have improved. Entry to medical hashish has drastically impacted her life in a optimistic approach.
Dr Simon Erridge, co-founder and trustee of Sapphire Medical Basis, commented: “We need to assist as many sufferers as doable and thank those that have made this new funding spherical doable. We recognize that now greater than ever, individuals are pressured to make tough choices between their well being and different requirements.
“We’re delighted to ask those that meet our stringent grant making standards to use for assist to entry medical hashish for at least one 12 months.”
UK and Channel Island grant spherical
This grant spherical opens to UK and Channel Island candidates on the 31August 2022, closing 12 October 2022. Purposes are open to each present medical hashish prescription holders, and sufferers who in any other case meet the grant-making standards however haven’t accessed therapy to this point.
Purposes could be made through the website
All grants are made following an intensive evaluation of eligibility and in accordance with our honest and clear grant making rules to out there here
To make a donation, please go to sapphirefoundation.co.uk/donations/make-a-donation/
The Sapphire Medical Basis supplies monetary help to cowl the prices of therapy for at least one 12 months for every affected person who receives one of many grants.