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Home Campaign Health Action Plan

Health Action Plan

Health services can go the extra MILE for young people with epilepsy by:

Measuring

  • Commissioners must know the number of children and young people with epilepsy in their area
  • Commissioners must know what level of resources they have in place
  • Commissioners must know how long young people with epilepsy are waiting for initial appointments, diagnosis, treatment, and tertiary assessment

    • Including and informing

  • Commissioners must know what young people with epilepsy and their parents/carers think abourt services
  • Children, young people and their parents/carers need easy access to high quality information and advice material about epilepsy

    • Looking after the 'whole' child

  • Children and young people with epilepsy and their parents/carers must have easy access to high quality multi-disciplinary services such as speech and language therapy and psychology

    • Ensuring services meet national recommended guidelines

  • Commissioners must adopt an easy to use, efficient process for referring children and young people to specialist services
  • Commissioners must have one or more care pathway that ensures all young people with epilepsy are seen by paediatricians with training and expertise in the epilepsies
  • All children and young people with epilepsy must be offered a care plan, and there should be a high adoption rate
  • All children and young people with epilepsy must have their case reviewed annually by a health professional with training and expertise in the epilepsies

    • The NCYPE Chair Anna Walker has personal and professional experience

    The NCYPE Chair, Anna Walker is a former Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission. Anna also experienced seizures herself during her teenage years. She therefore understands both the pressures health trusts face and the impact poor services can have on young people and their families. In a presentation to a Joint Epilepsy Council Commissioning event in February 2010, Anna said "Epilepsy is more widespread than most people recognise and there are real issues with current levels of care. But good epilepsy services are good value for money."

    JEC Epilepsy Commissioning event - 23 February 2010 - Click here to view Anna Walker's presentation

    The Government knows that epilepsy services need to be improved: the then Health Minister, Ann Keen, confirmed this in 2009 when she said, “I agree that services are still not good enough”. Through the campaign, and by working with a range of health organisations, the NCYPE will be pressing health commissioners and other NHS organisations to use the following ten ‘levers’ which will improve services for children with epilepsy:

    The NCYPE is keen to work with organisations that provide or influence services for children and young people with epilepsy. If you work for such an organisation and would like to know more about the Champions for Childhood Epilepsy Campaign, please contact Alison Cornell at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01342 832243.