1
Talk to your patient
Discuss whether a referral is something they want. Referral only proceeds with the patient's documented consent.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Information for healthcare professionals
For GPs, consultants and pharmacists who want to understand how Jorja works with you.
PRESCRIBING FRAMEWORK
When medical cannabis may be considered
Medical cannabis in the UK is an unlicensed prescription only medicine. Under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, as amended in 2018, the decision to start treatment with a cannabis based product for medicinal use may only be made by a doctor on the GMC Specialist Register, and only where the patient has a diagnosed condition and conventional treatments have either not worked or caused side effects the patient could not live with.
Prescribing takes place within a multidisciplinary framework. Every case is reviewed by more than one clinician before treatment begins, and cases are reviewed again at each routine review. An unlicensed medicine carries a weaker evidence base than a licensed one, and the assessing doctor weighs that openly as part of the decision.
Jorja does not ask the patient's GP to prescribe or to take over prescribing responsibility. Where treatment is prescribed, it is always started by a Jorja specialist on the GMC Specialist Register. Repeat prescriptions may then be issued by another registered prescriber under a shared care arrangement directed by that specialist, with monitoring, reviews and any changes overseen by the Jorja clinical team. We are happy to discuss any individual patient's care with their GP, with the patient's consent.
All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.
REFERRING A PATIENT
A referral in 3 steps
The process is deliberately light on your side. A summary and the patient's consent are enough to begin.
2
Send the referral
Include the diagnosis, the treatments already tried, the outcomes and any relevant history. Records can follow; a clear summary is enough to begin.
3
We assess and report back
A specialist doctor on the GMC Specialist Register assesses the case. You receive a written summary of the outcome, whatever it is.
COMMUNICATION
What we send back to you
You referred the patient, so you are entitled to know what happened. Communication back to the referring clinician is part of our standard process, not a favour.
Assessment summary
What was assessed, what was concluded, and the clinical reasoning behind it.
Treatment plan
If treatment is prescribed, the plan in full, so your records match ours.
Review schedule
When routine reviews fall due and what is monitored at each one.
GP kept informed
With the patient's consent, their GP is kept informed at every stage of care.
EVIDENCE AND REPORTING
Evidence and reporting
The evidence base for medical cannabis is developing. Randomised controlled trial data exists for some indications and remains limited for others, and we say so plainly to patients and colleagues alike. Outcomes are monitored for every patient under our care, and that monitoring feeds back into how cases are reviewed.
Suspected adverse events are reported through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, the UK's system for collecting safety information on medicines, including unlicensed ones. Colleagues who suspect an adverse reaction in a patient prescribed cannabis based medicine by any provider are encouraged to report it.
CONTACT
Contact the clinical team
If you are considering a referral and want to discuss it first, the clinical team is available to talk it through.
Telephone: 0333 050 5088
Patient safety concerns: please see our safeguarding statement
For patient enquiries, please direct patients to the eligibility check on this website rather than to this page. This page is for professional and referral correspondence. All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.