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Epilepsy Services

I apologise because I, too, cannot stay for the whole debate. I was lobbied the week before last by a young girl of 17, whom I met at an event in my constituency and who was very distressed because she had just been diagnosed, albeit pro tem, by her GP as having epilepsy and needing to see a specialist and an MRI scan. The waiting time was hell, creating much anxiety and fear in the family. Living with that anxiety and fear and not knowing the long-term consequences often makes it difficult for people to tell others. They do not know what the consequences will be; all they know is that it feels like a huge sentence. It is difficult to articulate their fears alongside what should be done if they have a seizure.