Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Children with Epilepsy: Treatments

Tuesday 1 March 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Christine Jardine asked about the long-term impacts of benzodiazepines and opioids on children with acute forms of epilepsy.
  • The Secretary of State highlighted the approval of medicinal cannabis for children with epilepsy.
  • The National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for epilepsy research and supports trials involving pharmaceutical companies.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
NHS
Context

Concerns over the long-term health effects of using certain medications to treat severe cases of epilepsy in minors.

Question

If his Department will make an assessment of the long-term impacts of use of (a) benzodiazepines and (b) other opioids on children being treated for acute forms of epilepsy.

Answer from Gillian Keegan

Benzodiazepines are an important medicine in the treatment of severe cases of certain types of epileptic conditions in children. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continues to monitor the safety of treatment with benzodiazepines. Opioids are not authorised to treat children for acute forms of epilepsy.

Partly answered

Not addressed: (b) assessment on opioids usage on children being treated for acute forms of epilepsy

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Q2 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
NHS
Context

The question follows up on the previous one regarding medications used to treat pediatric epilepsy. Emphasis on medicinal cannabis and its potential benefits.

Question

Benzodiazepines are not appropriate for all children, and the Secretary of State has been instrumental in approving medicinal cannabis for use by children with epilepsy. I recently visited a medicinal cannabis farm in the borders of Scotland, which is poised to make an important contribution to the pharmaceutical industry in this country. Given the economic benefits, and the moral imperative of helping those children who can only benefit from medicinal cannabis, will the Minister say what steps the Government will take to make it available on NHS prescriptions?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

The National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including epilepsy, and we would welcome those pharmaceutical companies coming forward to partake in trials. The NIHR and the NHS will support a programme of two randomised control trials into epilepsy, which will compare medicines containing cannabidiol, and CBD plus tetrahydrocannabinol and a placebo. This is a pioneering area of research, and I am aware that NHS England and NIHR are working closely to get those trials started as soon as possible.

Answered
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