Along with show anthea smith, who lost an ear to melanoma, and puts it down to decades of using sunbeds. And well talk to pupils from the east London State School where 100 students got straight as in their a levels, and more than a0 of them are heading to oxford and cambridge. Even stormzy has been tweeting about their success. Hello, welcome to the programme. Were live until 11 this morning. Do you use sunbeds . If so, are you worried about the risks . Or do you think its no worse than sitting out in the sun and, if you use them sensibly, youre safe . Do get in touch on all the stories were talking about use the hashtag victoria live. If you text, youll be charged at the Standard Network rate. First, Rachel Schofield has the news. Good morning. In the last hour, turkeys military pension fund has reached a tentative deal to take over British Steel. The Turkish Armed forces assistance fund, known as 0yak, said it planned to take control of British Steel by the end of the year. The official receiver for the British Company has confirmed that talks for a deal are under way. British steel was put into compulsory liquidation in may. It owns the scunthorpe steel works where 3,000 people work and it employs another 800 in the north east of england. Seven teenagers including one who is m are being questioned after a man was stabbed to death with a screwdriver in newcastle. Police say the attack on 52 year old peter duncan appears to have happened following a chance encounter. His family have described him as a devoted father. Patients who are trying to get medical cannabis prescriptions are calling on the nhs to do more to help them. Campaigners say that since legalisation last year there have been no new nhs prescriptions made available. Private clinics are offering patients prescriptions but many say the costs are prohibitively expensive. Labour mp ben bradshaw says the government must do more to help. I think the uk government is failing patients. The government was wrong to raise expectations. It now has to put that right by delivering on the promises that it has made to the patients. And well have an exclusive report on thisjust after this news summary. The National Grid has until the end of the day to send a report on last weeks major power outage to the energy regulator, 0fgem. Its expected to give more information about what caused the power cut, which left millions without electricity, but its unlikely to offer much insight into why Critical Infrastructure was so badly affected. North korea has test fired two more missiles off its eastern coast, shortly after saying it would never again sit down for talks with south korea. The north has been angered by a speech by the south korean president calling for the unification of the two countries, as well as its neighbours military exercises with america. North korea described the idea of peace talks at this time as delusional. A Civil Rights Group is warning the use of facial Recognition Systems in Public Places across the uk has reached epidemic levels. Big brother watch says the technology, which can scan peoples faces in crowds, comparing them with databases of criminals, is a threat to privacy. The governments data watchdog is investigating cameras installed at Kings Cross Station in london. 50 years after a Young David Bowie performed from a south london bandstand in front of a tiny crowd, the historic iron structure that he used as his stage has been given special listed status. Known to fans as the bowie bandstand, it was the centrepiece of the growth summer festival, which david bowie and his friends organised on 16 august 1969 in beckenham. That is all from me. Back tojoanna. In todays exclusive film, Campaign Groups are calling on the nhs to do more to help patients who are trying to get medical cannabis. They claim that since legalisation last year, there have been no new nhs prescriptions for medical cannabis containing the two main components of the cannabis plant cbd and thc. In the meantime, private cannabis clinics are opening in the uk, and the private sector is offering patients what they cant get on the nhs. But the costs can run to hundreds of a pounds a month. Heres sofia bettizas report. This is medical cannabis. Its been legal in the uk for almost a year. I really cant imagine my life without cannabis. But theres a problem. Nothings happened, nothings changed. People are not getting it on the nhs. And, as a result, private clinics are opening up. We can be a lifeline for patients in need. But this comes at a cost. Its outrageous and cruel that patients are having to spend so much of their own money. So why did the government legalise medical cannabis if the nhs isnt prescribing it . And are private cannabis clinics the only option for patients . Medical cannabis was made legal in november 2018. Many with conditions like epilepsy, chronic pain and ms got their hopes up. Todays announcement is so special. They thought this would open up the Treatment Options but that hasnt happened. And, in this vacuum, the private sector has seen a gap in the market. Im on my way to a private cannabis clinic thats about to open in london. It looks like patients with chronic conditions are resorting to places like this because they say its impossible to get a prescription on the nhs. Patients who come to this clinic need to be approved by a specialist doctor before they can get a prescription. There are some conditions for which i think theres good evidence for cannabis to be useful. So youd have to have one of those conditions. Like pain, for example, or anxiety or nausea and sickness in the context of chemotherapy or epilepsy. The problem . Its very expensive. The consultation fee to the patient is a fairly standard amount of £250. Then on top of that, when they receive the prescription from the chemist, theyll have to buy Something Like £600 to £800 per month for the prescription. Most people can never afford this. Do you think youre exploiting patients . No, absolutely were not exploiting patients at all. I mean, this is the only way patients who are in significant need can get access to this medicine, and thats very sad. Its the only way they can get the medicine they deserve. But its people like these who suffer. Charlotte has brain damage and epilepsy. Her mother, cheryl, has been trying to get cannabis on the nhs but was refused twice. She was told it was because she hadnt tried all options available and it was too expensive for the nhs to prescribe it. I think its absolutely disgusting that anyone is having to pay to go private and get a private prescription. The thought of having to pay that on a regular basis, on a monthly basis to fulfil it. Would you be able to afford it . I wouldnt be able to afford to sustain a private prescription on a long term basis at all, no. I mean, im a single mother looking after my daughter. I do work, i dont receive any benefits myself. And the problem is not lack of supply. About three quarters of all medical cannabis thats imported into the uk comes into this facility. They sort it, package it and deliver it to patients and pharmacists across the country. It sounds straightforward but it isnt. The medicine has to go through a lot of rigorous checks and it takes about eight weeks to obtain it after its prescribed. They only import the exact amount they need to fulfil their prescriptions and thats what makes it so expensive. And how much would this be . Well, so Something Like that is in the region of £500ish. £500 for this . And it only last for one month . The plant is grown in a controlled environment to ensure it has specific levels of chemicals to treat health conditions. How many prescription requests have you got since cannabis was made legal last year . Weve received approximately 100 prescriptions so far. All of them have come from the private sector. I think its fair to say that the nhs hasnt prescribed any cannabis to date. The two most important chemicals in the cannabis plants are thc and cbd. Thc is the part of the cannabis plant that makes people feel high, whereas cbd doesnt have the mind altering effects that cause that high. But Campaign Groups say limiting medicine to products that contain only cbd isnt enough. They want access to a wider variety of cannabis based medicines, some of which contain thc. Like chelsea she treats her epilepsy with cannabis. Her vape contains thc and cbd. She says she hasnt had a single seizure since she started using it. It has completely changed my life. I really cant imagine my life without cannabis. I really. Feel so grateful that i found this medicine. You know, ive seen cannabis transform peoples lives. The only reason chelsea can get cannabis is that she lives in new york and shes brought her medicine with her. While her sister, tamsin, who has a much more severe form of epilepsy, cant get a prescription on the nhs because she lives in the uk. So what would tamsins life have been like if shed been given cannabis as a baby . Maybe she wouldnt be living in full time care now. You know, maybe her mental age wouldnt be of a 13 year old. It shouldnt be about where youre located, you know . And thats what were seeing with my sister and i, where i live in the us and i have access because of my address and she doesnt because of her address. So why did the government decides to make medical cannabis legal if the nhs isnt prescribing it . I dont think the government had done its homework, if im perfectly honest. The government raised peoples expectations that, following legalisation, Medicinal Cannabis will become readily available. It hasnt. If anything, its become more difficult for people to obtain it. Is the uk government failing patients . I think the uk government is failing patients. The government was wrong to raise expectations. It now has to put that right by delivering on the promises that its made to the patients. This cannabis revolution needs to be led by science and, so far, its been led by politics and i think what people forget is that, for many patients, including my sister, this is a life or death situation. The department of health told us that this pattern of prescribing medical cannabis is quite normal and that, in most countries that have legalised the drug, most prescriptions are given through the private sector. They also said they need more evidence to prove that it works. Campaigners were recently dealt a further blow after a Health Care Watchdog said that a lot of medical cannabis products shouldnt be available on the nhs because theyre not Cost Effective and more Clinical Trials are needed. Sadly, at the present time, the only way a patient can get a prescription for medical cannabis is through this clinic. For now, people say they will be left suffering, in need of medicine that they cant afford. Last week, nice published its draft recommendations on the use of cannabis based medicinal products which found a lack of evidence about their long term safety and effectiveness. However, its now open for public consultation. We are joined by the man who is responsible for nices guideline programme, paul chrisp. Also in the studio we have hannah deacon. Her son alfie has severe epilepsy and last year was issued the First Medical Cannabis license in the uk. And speaking to us from brighton is clark french. He has ms and openly admits that he breaks the law to obtain medical cannabis which he cannot get on the nhs. Welcome all of you. Hannah, i will come to you first of all because the issueis come to you first of all because the issue is cannabis was legalised for medical use last year and people are still not getting it on the nhs. Your son alfie is one of only two nhs prescriptions in england. It is complicated but tell us for you and a healthy weight is important he gets it, and what difference it has made . Well, to put into context briefly, he went from 48 hospital admissions in one year before we went to holland, to hardly any since went to holland, to hardly any since we have been home. Its about quality of life. We are not talking about a cure. We are talking about giving a little boy the best quality of life. If you look at the chief medical officers report, issued lastjuly, she said in that there is conclusive evidence throughout the world that cannabis based medicine should be available. Then the acm day also said doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis based medicine. Then the home secretary said, when he changed the law, that he was doing it to help people like my child. Then unfortunately, when the law has changed, we have seen the law has changed, we have seen the brakes go on completely. I work with 20 families. They are all now seeking private prescriptions costing thousands of pounds a month. They wouldnt be doing that if it wasnt working. When they are going to their doctors, their doctors are saying to them, i cannot prescribe for you because of the guidelines. I am not allowed to. These families are being put in dire straits. It is fantastic that the nhs review talks about observational trials. But we cant wait six months. These children need help today. There is talk about shared care arrangements. Why cant the private neurologists that prescribed to these children, share the care with the nhs doctors . We wa nt share the care with the nhs doctors . We want to see practical, quick, urgent ways of helping these people and its not happening. Yes, we need research, yes, we need to understand. But we also need not to put our heads in the sand. Israel have been doing research into cannabis for 25 years. We know about the entourage effect. Why has that panel not talk to their colleagues around the world . Panel not talk to their colleagues around the world . It seems extremely arrogant and patients will suffer and end up going to the black market. When you have a serious illness, it should not be happening. Paul, the systems are really complicated to try to get something funnelled through the nhs in the end. But it boils down to a simple principle, doesnt it, those who use it so it works, those who cannot get it so it works, those who cannot get it on the nhs, except for alfie and another child, are paying a huge amount of money because it works . There is evidence, so why is it, what is the block . Why does nice say there is still not enough evidence . 0k, there is still not enough evidence . Ok, the question we were asked was, what is the clinical Cost Effectiveness of cannabis based products for a range of conditions, one of which was epilepsy. The committee will work with, we worked we committee will work with, we worked we looked that international evidence, we scoured literature for evidence. And our committee felt that there wasnt enough evidence to really fully assess the safety and effectiveness of cannabis based medicines for epilepsy. Sorry to interrupt but what about alfie . He was having so many hospital admissions and now he is not . Yeah, we recognise that. We recognise that people do benefit, absolutely. We are not saying it shouldnt be used. That is not what we are saying. We say there needs to be more research. These medicines are not licensed, which means they havent gone through the regulatory process to see whether they are safe or effective or what quality they have produced, the dosage or when they should be started or stopped. There isa should be started or stopped. There is a Regulatory Framework for medicines in this country, designed to keep people safe. You are effectively running into bureaucracy as well and there is only so much you can do . That is not what i am saying. We were asked to look at the evidence. We expected not to find much because no product is licensed. Indeed that is what we did find. But we do know, and experiences like hannahs, people benefit. What that would do it would stop the further research we desperately need and it would also prevent other people access to these medicines if it was right for them after they had exhausted every other licensed medicine. So the door is then open for the research to be done and prescriptions to be available on the nhs. How long would this process take . The law was changed last november. Sure. Again, nhs england is saying, we can support controlled trials. That is the gold standard. That is what you need to get a regulatory approval. What we also recognise is observational data. Lets learn from the experiences of people already receiving cannabis based medicines. What does that tell us about the effects . What does that tell us about their safety . Until we have that, clinicians dont have the confidence. One last thing with paul, was the government com pletely thing with paul, was the government completely wrong to legalise something that is not licensed for use . It raises expectations and it sounds like there is no way the nhs is going to fund it while it is not licensed . No, i dont think the garment was wrong to do that. I think, like in any clinical situation, there are unlicensed medicines available. The way the doctors prescribe is they work through licensed medicines. For some people, licensed medicines dont work. That is where people need to talk to specialist and say, we tried everything, nothing works for us, we are aware of this unlicensed medicine, can we have a conversation . We know there may be uncertainties about the evidence. That deregulation, that that rescheduling, did allow that access. 0k. Rescheduling, did allow that access. Ok. Im afraid what you are saying is what should happen, but it is not what is happening. What do you suggest that the families i work with, who have private prescriptions, what do you suggest they do now . Because they cannot afford £2000 a month on going. They cant do it. They have evidence that children are better. They are going to doctors in the nhs and they are saying, my child is better, and the doctor is saying, it is fantastic your child is not coming to hospital any more, but i cant prescribe to you, my medical director says i cant, my trust says i cant. While you are saying that conversation should be happening and doctors should be happening and doctors should have the right to prescribe, it is simply not happening. It is not the truth. I speak to these pa rents not the truth. I speak to these parents every day. And im sorry to get upset, but they are a