What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a common condition with about one in every 130 people in the UK developing it at some point in their life. It is defined as a tendency to have recurrent, unprovoked seizures (seizures are sudden disturbances of electrical activity in the brain).

There are many causes of epilepsy and special tests are often needed to find out why you have developed it and to decide what the best treatment is for you. Fortunately, in the majority of cases epilepsy can be controlled by taking anti-epileptic drugs, known as AEDs, regularly.

Our Service

The regional Epilepsy Service is run by doctors and nurses with a special interest and expertise in epilepsy, and in helping you to manage your condition. Patients are referred to us by their GPs, consultants in medicine or accident and emergency, or through the general neurology service once a diagnosis has been made. 

First Seizure Clinic

This is a clinic for people who have had their first suspected seizure.

Referrals are taken from emergency departments around the region. You will be seen by a doctor with expertise in seizures and blackouts and are likely to have several tests on the day of the appointment – so please allow time for this. It is very important that you bring someone with you who has seen your blackout if possible. Once you have seen the doctor you will be given advice, usually by our nurse specialist, about safety and first aid for seizures.

Specialist care and support where and when you need it

Our team includes an Epilepsy Specialist Nurse who can provide support and advice to help you and your family manage your symptoms and administer your own medication, so that you can carry on with normal daily life. Our Epilepsy Nurse runs special clinics where you can discuss any concerns you may have and there is also a dedicated telephone helpline which you can use.

We are committed to working closely with rehabilitation services in the community to ensure that people with complex neurological conditions get all the support and care they need to lead as normal a life as possible. 

Advanced technology and clinical expertise

We provide a range of specialist investigations to help understand why you have developed the condition and how best to control your symptoms. These include:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG) - this measures the electrical activity of the brain and helps to diagnose the type of epilepsy someone has.
• Computerised Tomography scan (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - these scans can help to identify any abnormality in the brain
• Videotelemetry (VT) - this is a prolonged recording of the EEG with video that enables doctors to see what happens to the brain activity during a seizure.

More information

If you would like more information on our Epilepsy Service, please contact us:

Penny Burt, Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

Telephone: (0191) 282 3490