For most UK patients who receive a cannabis-based prescription, the route runs through a private clinic. The process can be straightforward, but it should still feel like healthcare: a specialist assessment, an individual decision and continuing clinical oversight.
This is the practical sequence — and the questions worth asking at each stage.
1. Establish whether an assessment is realistic
Clinics generally look for a diagnosed condition and evidence that conventional treatment has not provided adequate benefit or has caused unacceptable effects. Criteria vary, and meeting a clinic's screening questions does not guarantee a prescription.
Requesting your medical summary early can prevent delays. It should document the condition, relevant investigations and treatments already tried.
2. Compare the whole care model
Do not choose on the initial consultation fee alone. Compare the clinicians' relevant experience, follow-up schedule, repeat-prescription process, likely medication costs and what support is available between appointments.
Check that the provider and its clinicians are appropriately registered. Independent reviews can reveal service patterns, but they are not a substitute for regulatory status or transparent clinical governance.
3. Prepare for the consultation
A proper assessment should cover symptoms, treatment history, current medicines, mental and physical health, daily responsibilities and treatment goals. The clinician should explain possible benefits, side effects, impairment and practical issues such as driving.
Be wary of any service that presents approval as automatic. The point of the consultation is to decide whether treatment is appropriate, not to complete a sale.
4. Understand the decision and cost
If a prescription is proposed, ask about product choice, starting dose, titration and what success will look like. Request a realistic estimate covering appointments, dispensing and medication rather than relying on an advertised starting price.
5. Expect follow-up
Early review is important because dose and product may need adjustment. Ongoing appointments should record benefit, adverse effects and changes in other treatment.
Private access can be a workable route, but patients should not have to lower their expectations because care is paid for directly. Good cannabis prescribing should meet the same basic test as any other specialist treatment: informed consent, proportionate monitoring and a clear clinician responsible for the plan.
