Bridging the Gap with Dr Sue Clenton: Building Trust in a Disrupted Market

In her new bi-weekly series for Cannabis Health, Dr Sue Clenton, Consultant Oncologist and Medical Director at Releaf Cannabis Clinic, shares her insight from the front line of an emerging field of medicine, taking readers inside the clinic and offering a doctor’s perspective on what it really means to prescribe cannabis medicines in the UK today.

In her first instalment, Dr Clenton examines the challenge of maintaining patient confidence in a rapidly changing sector, and how transparency, follow-up care, and clinician responsibility can be true differentiators.

With over 60,000 patients, the UK’s medical cannabis sector is experiencing rapid growth. Around 40 clinics are now thought to be prescribing cannabis-based medicines, and new ones are appearing all the time, promising convenience, affordability, and quick access to prescriptions.

Many offer free consultations and other discounts or incentives for patients switching providers from a rival clinic. But this model is not maintainable, not stable, and not what we, as a clinic, entered this field for. 

At Releaf, we see things differently. We are here for the long term, with a focus on quality, continuity, and integrity, rather than quick wins. On one recent day, our clinicians held nearly 400 appointments, but in order to do that, we must ensure that every single patient feels as though they are the only one being seen that day. That commitment to individual care not only builds trust but helps to sustain it.

Our processes are deliberately robust. Every new patient record is triaged and assessed before the first consultation. This allows us to gather as much relevant clinical evidence as possible in advance, streamlining and speeding up the approval process, while ensuring more robust decision-making. 

Each patient is thoroughly assessed by our team, which covers a wide range of clinical specialties – every one of our clinicians bringing NHS experience to the role. We’re transparent about who we are, our website lists every clinician, along with their biographies and professional experience, because visibility breeds trust.

We also hold multiple multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings each day, ensuring every clinician is supported to make the right decisions. A dedicated pharmacy and dispensing team ensures patients receive their medication quickly, without compromising safety or oversight.

Our patient support team is available through email, chat, and phone, and consultations are available seven days a week. Patients can be seen whenever they need to be, but equally, if stable, are not over-reviewed. That balance is key to maintaining trust and clinical integrity.

Every Releaf clinician completes in-house training and regular appraisal, covering medical cannabis strains, prescription guidelines, and patient care standards. As a designated body, Releaf provides revalidation for our doctors, an important safeguard that ensures all our clinicians are performing well, consistently and meeting the highest standards of medical practice. 

This month, we’re also launching a new in-house CPD (Continuing Professional Development) initiative to keep every member of our team up to date with the latest research and best practices in cannabis-based medicine. 

In a disrupted and highly competitive market, it’s easy to lose sight of what sets good clinics apart. The real differentiators are not discounts or advertising, but transparency and clinical responsibility.

At Releaf, that’s what we are here for.