Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure integrated care boards commission nabiximols in line with NICE guideline NG144.

Nabiximols is the United States Adopted Name for the medication marketed as Sativex (dronabinol/cannabidiol) and licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for symptom improvement in adult patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.

The attached table shows the number of identifiable patients who were prescribed Sativex in the community in England by integrated care board in each financial year from 2023 to 2026 and from April 2026 to June 2026. The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold information on patient condition or reasons for why Sativex has been prescribed.

The Department has made no assessment of the levels of variation in access to Sativex for multiple-sclerosis related spasticity. National Health Service commissioners are expected to take National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines fully into account in ensuring that services meet the needs of their local populations. NICE keeps its guidelines under review and would consider the need to update its recommendations on Sativex in light of any new evidence.