Psoriatic Arthritis

No, a GP referral is not required to take measures to enhance/improve your health. Our aim is to help identify the reasons you are not at your best so that you feel better as soon as possible. You can obtain an MRI scan without the need for a GP's consultation.

The NHS is responsible for the healthcare of a significant proportion of the UK's population. Therefore, you may be in competition with other local residents who have more pressing medical needs than you. As the number of individuals requiring treatment continues to grow, the waiting list inevitably becomes longer. However, if you decide to obtain an affordable private consultation, you can bypass this queue.

Absolutely. All the medications we prescribe are completely legal and regulated by the CQC and MHRA. Medical cannabis was rescheduled to a Schedule 2 drug and has been legal in the UK since 1 November 2018. Your medical cannabis is legal as long as it is prescribed by a medical specialist who has considered the latest evidence and guidelines, as well as your specific diagnoses and medical conditions.

Our advice is that you should request your prescription two weeks before your medication is due to run out.  This gives time for the doctors to write the prescription and supply it to the pharmacy.  The pharmacy will not dispense medication until they receive the signed original prescription.  Once received, they need time to process, dispense and arrange delivery of the medication to you.

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Medical cannabis has been found to be effective in treating a range of conditions that have not responded to other medications and therapies. Patients with chronic pain, neuropathy, and certain psychiatric disorders have reported positive outcomes.

In order to be considered for medical cannabis treatment, you must have attempted at least two other treatments that were unsuccessful. We can help you determine whether the treatment you have already tried would qualify you to receive medical cannabis treatment. 

Additionally, you cannot have a history of psychosis, mania or schizophrenia. There are also other health conditions that may prevent you from receiving medical cannabis, here at JEC we will assess your suitability, balancing the risks and benefits to come up with the best treatment plan for you. 

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If you're unsure whether medical cannabis could benefit you, we suggest one of two options:

• Speak to one of our patient coordinators, at no cost, who will be able to screen your medical information to see if you might be eligible. More complicated cases may require some liaison with one of our experienced clinicians, but the patient coordinators will be able to guide you through this process.
• Schedule a consultation with a specialist who can assess your condition and determine if medical cannabis treatment is appropriate for you.

Medical cannabis is a psychoactive substance that contains THC. As a consequence there is a slight risk of habituation and addiction if used continuously for long periods of time. However, the risk is lower than with other medication classes such as opioid pain medications and possibly lower than benzodiazepines for anxiety and sleep.
Addiction to medical cannabis is invariably psychological rather than physical, this means that it can be a challenge to change behavior or habituation to medical cannabis. Your Doctor will be able to support you with any psychological dependence, should you feel this is a problem for you. Physical dependence to medical cannabis is rare and short-lived, the commonest withdrawal symptom being sleep disturbance. Most physical withdrawal symptoms to medical cannabis resolve within 7-14 days of stopping medical cannabis.

To minimise this risk, your medical cannabis specialist will monitor you closely for any signs of addiction and choose specific products with a lower risk that are appropriate for your symptoms. They will also flag any concerns they may have that you are becoming habituated to medical cannabis and take steps to address this with you. Your Doctor will be able to support you if you do experience any habituation to medical cannabis.

Our team of medical cannabis specialists are highly experienced in treating patients with various conditions using medical cannabis. Before prescribing a treatment plan, they conduct a thorough assessment of your symptoms, current medications, and lifestyle factors.

Based on this assessment, they will choose a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs and symptoms. The treatment plan may include a variety of products with different levels of THC and CBD to provide the best possible relief for your condition while minimizing any potential side effects.

Your medical cannabis specialist will monitor your progress closely and make adjustments to your treatment plan as necessary to ensure that you are receiving the most effective treatment with the fewest possible side effects.

Medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in 2018, but it is currently not widely available on the NHS. Only specialist doctors are qualified to prescribe medical cannabis as a last resort, and funding must be applied for to cover NHS prescriptions. This has resulted in only a small number of patients being able to access medical cannabis through the NHS.

However, The Jorja Emerson Centre provides an alternative for people with unmet needs who are unable to access medical cannabis treatment through the NHS. Our specialist doctors can prescribe medical cannabis after a thorough assessment, making it easier for patients to access this potentially life-changing treatment.

In the UK, all medical cannabis is unlicensed, meaning that it has not been specifically approved for use by the regulatory agency responsible for medicines in the UK. However, medical cannabis obtained via prescription from The Jorja Emerson Centre is 100% legal in the UK. The term "unlicensed" is used to describe medicines that are used outside the terms of their agreed UK license. This means that the medicine is being prescribed for a condition or use that it was not originally licensed to treat. Unlicensed medical products can only be supplied to meet the special needs of an individual patient, and this is a common practice in areas such as paediatrics, psychiatry, and palliative care.

Medical cannabis is sourced from licensed producers who have been approved by the government to grow and distribute medical cannabis. This means that the availability of medical cannabis is limited to the number of licensed producers who are able to meet the demand for medical cannabis. However, at The Jorja Emerson Centre, we work with a variety of licensed producers to ensure that we have access to a range of high-quality medical cannabis products to suit the needs of our patients.

Medical cannabis is distinct from the recreational strains that are bred to produce high levels of THC and little else. Patients use medical cannabis to manage their symptoms while still being able to function in daily life. Your doctor will prescribe a product with the right balance of THC, CBD, and strain to improve your quality of life. This means you will not necessarily feel "high" or "stoned" when using medical cannabis. Typically, a high THC product is used before bed to help with sleep and in severe pain, however if you are feeling ‘high’ or ‘stoned’ this may indicate that the dose of THC is too high for your needs and may need to be reduced, you should speak with your specialist if you have any concerns

The cost of your medical cannabis treatment will depend on several factors, including the type and amount of medicine prescribed, your medical condition, and your individual circumstances. Your medical cannabis specialist will discuss the cost of treatment with you before prescribing and will work with you to find the most cost-effective solution for your needs. It is worth noting that medical cannabis is not currently covered by the NHS and private prescriptions can be expensive, but some patients may be eligible for financial assistance through specific schemes or insurance policies.

We offer in-person and remote appointments at our state-of-the-art Paddington clinic.

After your initial appointment with your doctor, you will have a follow-up appointment one month after starting your treatment to check your progress. Subsequently, you will need to schedule appointments with your doctor every three months to review your response to medical cannabis and monitor your condition. This is to ensure that your treatment is effective and to make any necessary adjustments to your medication.

Please ensure you have a copy of your photo ID with you for your appointment. This will enable the doctor to cross-reference it with the ID you submitted during your onboarding process. All other information required for your appointment will be collected during the onboarding process.

Our average is 5-7 days, but it can take longer if your medication is not immediately available in the pharmacy. An example timeline would be:

1. We send out your prescription within 48hrs
2. Your prescription arrives at your chosen pharmacy within 48-72hrs
3. Your prescription is processed and sent to you via recorded delivery. Fulfillment is approx 5-7 days after assessment.

While it is technically possible to get your prescription filled at any pharmacy, it is important to note that only specialist pharmacies stock medical cannabis. Most high-street pharmacies are unlikely to be able to dispense it. Our partner pharmacy, Jorja Direct, is a licensed direct-selling pharmacy that can deliver medical cannabis directly to your door. However, you are free to nominate another specialist pharmacy if you prefer, or even have your prescription sent to any other pharmacy of your choice.

30 minutes for the first consultation and 20 minutes for a follow-up consultation.