Health Minister, Jacqui Smith today issued the Epilepsy Action Plan,
which will help improve services for people with epilepsy, their
families and carers. This follows publication of the National
Clinical Audit of Epilepsy-Related Deaths.

Health Minister, Jacqui Smith said:
"We have taken the findings of the audit seriously and I hope that
this action plan will result in improved services for people with
epilepsy and their families. It covers a wide range of strategies and
policies, including:
- spending #1.2 million over the next two years on a project with the
  NHS Modernisation Agency to improve access to neurology services;
- supporting the National Society for Epilepsy with a Section 64
  grant of #288,600 over the next 3 years to improve support and
  information for people with epilepsy and their families; this is in
  addition to an existing grant of #122,000 to support their "Living
  Well" project which provides local courses to promote self-help and
  self-management for people living with epilepsy;
- work across government and by professional organisations to
  modernise pathology and post mortem services which will address any
  shortfalls in current practice, and help improve support and
  information for bereaved families of people with epilepsy;
- medicines management programmes which are raising awareness among
  health professionals, improving partnership between patients and
  professionals in relation to medicine taking, and looking at the
  effective use of medicines;
- helping to develop more general practitioners with a special
  interest in neurology; and
- improving care and support for pregnant women with epilepsy.

"In addition to the Epilepsy Action Plan, the National Institute for
Clinical Excellence (NICE) will publish an appraisal of anti-epilepsy
drugs next year followed by a guideline on the diagnosis, management
and treatment of epilepsy in 2004. Also, the National Service
Framework for Long-term Conditions will consider how we can improve
neurology services and is due to be published in 2004.

"Both of these pieces of work show our increased commitment to
getting a better deal for this group of people."

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said
"I am happy to see the Department of Health publishing this action
plan. My 2001 Annual Report recommended the need for a real
commitment to put right the long standing weaknesses in the standard
of care for people with epilepsy. I think this action plan is an
important step in the process of improving awareness and
understanding of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) and will
lead to improved care and services for people with epilepsy."

Notes for Editors:
1. A copy of the epilepsy action plan is available on the Department
of Health website at http://www.doh,gov.uk/cmo/epilepsy

2. The National Clinical Audit of Epilepsy-related Death was set up
to establish whether deficiencies in the standard of clinical
management, or in the overall healthcare package, could have
contributed to the deaths.

3. The audit was sponsored by the National Institute for Clinical
Excellence (NICE) and the health departments of the devolved
administrations. The voluntary organisation, Epilepsy Bereaved
project managed the audit and published the full audit report which
is available on the internet at http://www.sudep.org. NICE produced a
summary report which is available at:
http://www.nice.org.uk/pdf/epilepsyreport.pdf.

4. The Chief Medical Officer's annual report (December 2001) included
a chapter on epilepsy, Epilepsy - death in the shadows. The report is
available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/annualreport2001/index.htm.

5. The epilepsy voluntary organisations can be contacted at:
- Joint Epilepsy Council
website - http://www.jointepilepsycouncil.org.uk/
e-mail - epilepsy@mrea.demon.co.uk
- Epilepsy Action
website - http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/
freephone helpline - 0808 800 5050
e-mail - helpline@epilepsy.org.uk
- Epilepsy Bereaved
website - http://www.sudep.org
e-mail - epilepsybereaved@dial.pipex.com
general enquries - 01235 772850
bereavement support line - 01235 772852
- National Society for Epilepsy
website - http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/pages/index/home/
telephone - 01494 601300

6. For media enquiries, please contact Shima Islam in the Department
of Health Media Centre on 020 7210 5375

7. For public enquiries, please contact the Department of Health
Public Enquiries Section on 020 7210 4850

ENDS