Children who suffer from epilepsy face a "profoundly concerning" variability in the quality of care they receive, depending on where they live, according to a new report published today.
Epilepsy, which can have a devastating impact on educational attainment and badly disrupt the lives of sufferers, is the most common serious neurological condition diagnosed in the UK affecting one in 200 children or around 60,000 youngsters.
Charities called for urgent action after the first national audit of epilepsy services for young people found that barely half of families are offered the support of a qualified epilepsy nurse within a year of their child being diagnosed. The role is seen as vital in monitoring medication, advising schools that can be overly restrictive of children with the condition, and providing support to parents.
England offered the worst level of specialist nursing support, according to the survey of children's NHS services conducted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Only 47 per cent of units offered the service compared with 77 per cent in Wales, 73 per cent in Scotland and 100 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Half of children diagnosed with epilepsy do not achieve their full educational potential, said the report's author, consultant paediatrician Dr Colin Dunkley.
"We've seen marked steps forward in epilepsy care for children in recent years. The majority of children are now being seen by paediatricians with expertise and many are getting detailed diagnoses and being prescribed the most appropriate medicines first time. But there are certain areas that need to be improved if we're to give children and young peopl e the best possible medical treatment and ongoing care."
The report also found that a third of children were not adequately assessed at first, while more than seven out of 10 did not receive an MRI scan necessary to detect underlying causes of the condition.
Nearly half of those suffering from the more serious types of epilepsy did not see a paediatric neurologist when required, it was found.
Epilepsy is often very hard to diagnose with GPs and hospital emergency departments often lacking experience in recognising symptoms which can often be mistaken for fainting or other conditions
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing said advances in care had transformed the lives of children. "However, it is a matter of profound concern to us that this is not the case everywhere," he said.
Original post:
Report reveals postcode lottery of care for children with epilepsy