No assessment has been made on the effectiveness of the implementation of a ketogenic diet for young people with epilepsy who are cared for in their own home. A ketogenic diet (high in fat and low in carbohydrates) may reduce seizures for some children whose epilepsy cannot be successfully managed with drugs. Information for the public on the use of ketogenic diets in the treatment of epilepsy is available on the NHS Choices website and is also provided by Epilepsy Action and the Epilepsy Society, the two leading charities for the condition in England. Information provided via NHS Choices can be found at the following link:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Epilepsy/Pages/Treatment.aspx

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline, ‘The diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care’, published in 2012 and updated in 2018, sets out best practice for clinicians in the treatment of children with epilepsy. All children, young people and adults with epilepsy should have access via their specialist to a tertiary service when circumstances require. The NICE guideline states that if seizures are not controlled and/or there is diagnostic uncertainty or treatment failure, children, young people and adults should be referred to tertiary services soon for further assessment.

The NICE guidance also makes clear that a named clinician should assume responsibility for the ongoing management of the young person with epilepsy during adolescence to ensure smooth transition of care to adult services. Whilst the Department does not directly assess compliance with NICE guidance, we expect commissioners to take it, and other examples of evidence based best practice, into account when planning and delivering services for local populations. The NICE guideline can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg137/resources/epilepsies-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-35109515407813

No assessment has been made on the effectiveness of the implementation of a ketogenic diet for young people with epilepsy who are cared for in their own home. A ketogenic diet (high in fat and low in carbohydrates) may reduce seizures for some children whose epilepsy cannot be successfully managed with drugs. Information for the public on the use of ketogenic diets in the treatment of epilepsy is available on the NHS Choices website and is also provided by Epilepsy Action and the Epilepsy Society, the two leading charities for the condition in England. Information provided via NHS Choices can be found at the following link:

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Epilepsy/Pages/Treatment.aspx

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline, ‘The diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care’, published in 2012 and updated in 2018, sets out best practice for clinicians in the treatment of children with epilepsy. All children, young people and adults with epilepsy should have access via their specialist to a tertiary service when circumstances require. The NICE guideline states that if seizures are not controlled and/or there is diagnostic uncertainty or treatment failure, children, young people and adults should be referred to tertiary services soon for further assessment.

The NICE guidance also makes clear that a named clinician should assume responsibility for the ongoing management of the young person with epilepsy during adolescence to ensure smooth transition of care to adult services. Whilst the Department does not directly assess compliance with NICE guidance, we expect commissioners to take it, and other examples of evidence based best practice, into account when planning and delivering services for local populations. The NICE guideline can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg137/resources/epilepsies-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-35109515407813