'Save epilepsy nurses' - MP's plea to Government

A Leeds MP is campaigning to save the jobs of epilepsy specialist nurses, calling on the Government to recognise their “pivotal” role in caring for epilepsy sufferers.

John Battle (Lab, Leeds West) has tabled a motion in Parliament asking ministers to ensure that financial problems in NHS trusts do not mean a loss of epilepsy specialist nursing posts. The work of an epilepsy specialist nurse can involve reviewing seizures, adjusting or changing medication and providing information, as well as giving support and time to help reduce the impact of the condition on a person and their family.

Mr Battle said: “I’m worried that some epilepsy nurses are being threatened with redundancy, or are having to spend part of their time on non-specialist duties. Others are leaving their posts and not being replaced. Of course the financial problems in NHS trusts need to be tackled, but I don’t want to see this impacting upon provision for people who have epilepsy.”

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition in the UK, affecting around 456,000 people. There are approximately 170 epilepsy specialist nurses in the UK.

Mr Battle believes that specialist nursing care is vital to help those with epilepsy live with their condition. He said: “These nurses have a pivotal part to play in providing support and advice to people with epilepsy. If epilepsy specialist nurses are made redundant, or give over much of their time to other nursing duties, then the in-depth, specialist knowledge of the complexities of epilepsy that people need will be missing.”

He went on: “My motion calls on the Government to provide more specialist nursing posts and safeguard the role played by epilepsy nurses in the NHS. Of course local NHS Trusts have the responsibility to allocate resources to meet patient needs, but the Government must not allow Trusts to make short-term decisions which will have severe long-term effects on the quality of life for people with epilepsy.”

A government-funded report in 2002 concluded that more than 40% of deaths from epilepsy were probably avoidable.

©John Battle MP 19 December 2006

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