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Epilepsy Services

I understand that; my eyesight must be worse than I thought. I understand that there is real ignorance among not only the general public and employers, but the medical profession. That is reflected in the report. Our residential care takes place not only on the NSE site, but in supported units in the community. That is important, as people suffering from severe epilepsy can be rehabilitated and introduced into the community. That is an important part of the work. Obviously, the research unit is state-of-the-art and works with many distinguished scientists from around the country. One particularly impressive aspect of the NSE is the monitoring suites, which have state-of-the-art facilities for observing people continuously so that if they have an epileptic fit, they are looked at in a real-time situation. That gives those involved in the diagnosis a good chance of getting to the bottom of the problem. It has always struck me that people come to the NSE’s assessment unit, with their families, from all over the country. Those people are often confused and worried about their condition. They stay for many weeks; the assessment is long-term in some instances. When they know that the medics have got to the bottom of their condition and that they will receive the correct treatment, their relief can be seen. The hon. Member for Calder Valley laid out the facts and figures well, and they are in the report for the Minister to look at. Is it not a crying shame that nearly 1,000 people a year die from epilepsy? More than 360 are young adults and children—what a waste of our society’s future. Some 400 of the 1,000 deaths are considered to be unavoidable. The report addresses not only the ignorance of the condition, but the inadequacy of provision and training. It is important that a Government concerned with the health of our whole society should examine the issue of epilepsy and address the concerns raised in the report. With certain adjustments of approach, we could certainly move to better outcomes on epilepsy. Misdiagnosis, work force issues, funding, employment, the stigma and the issues of residential care are all addressed in the report, but, as the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) mentioned prisoners, I would particularly like to take up that point. The Minister, with her colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, needs to address the treatment of prisoners who ostensibly have epilepsy. Some 62 per cent. of diagnoses of prisoners with epilepsy were not made by epilepsy specialists and, in addition, 53.8 per cent. of those prisoners diagnosed as having epilepsy had not had a medical review for 12 months.