Supporting Boisterous Ben and the End Our Pain Campaign

For those who don’t know him, it gives me great pleasure to introduce one of the most courageous young men I have had the honour to meet: Ben, affectionately known as Boisterous Ben.

Ben’s journey has been one of remarkable resilience. He used to suffer from around 100 seizures per day, severely impacting his quality of life. Ben has brain damage that results in cerebral palsy, developmental delay, sensory processing disorder, and intractable epilepsy. Despite trying over 10 different kinds of epilepsy medications in various combinations, as well as other treatments provided by the NHS, none proved effective—some even worsened his condition. Desperate for an alternative, his parents, Joanne and Paul, turned to medical-grade cannabis oil. To their relief, Ben’s seizures reduced drastically from 100 to just six per day.

Joanne and Paul currently pay £2,000 a month for Ben’s private prescription, which they fund entirely themselves. I met Joanne and Paul a few years ago during my time as the Leader of South Ribble Borough Council, when they approached me for support. Since that time, I have worked closely with the family to raise awareness of alternative treatments, and I am proud to now champion their cause as their Member of Parliament.

Recently, I wrote to Andrew Gwynne MP, Minister for Health and Social Care, urging a review of NHS policies surrounding medical cannabis. I asked whether any recent research had been undertaken into the use of medicinal cannabis for treating specific types of epilepsy, and if the Minister would consider revising the NHS’s assessment process for individual funding requests. The aim is to ensure that children like Ben, for whom these treatments could prevent repeated hospital admissions, receive the care they need. While the Minister acknowledged the importance of further research to establish evidence of safety and effectiveness, I remain committed to pressing for progress.

While due diligence is paramount, the need for action is also urgent. Families like Ben’s deserve better—access to treatments that significantly improve their quality of life should not come with an unsustainable financial burden.

It was a pleasure to welcome Ben and his family to Parliament today, where they were advocating for the End Our Pain campaign. This initiative calls for medical cannabis to be made available on the NHS, ensuring that children like Ben and their families receive the care they deserve, free at the point of need—a founding principle of the NHS.

To follow the End Our Pain campaign and stay updated, you can visit their Facebook page, End Our Pain. For more information about Ben’s story, visit Intractable Epilepsy, the first UK charity established by families with loved ones affected by intractable epilepsy. The page also provides details on how to donate to this vital cause.