New plans to improve care for the thousands of people in Wales who are living with epilepsy were announced today (8 Feb) by Health Minister Edwina Hart.
It is the first time such a plan has been outlined in any UK country.
Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in Wales. It is estimated that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 people living with epilepsy and that 1,500 more people every year develop the condition.
Around 1,000 people die every year in the UK because of epilepsy and the chance of premature death is two or three times more likely for people living with epilepsy compared to the general population.
The plans include measures to reduce the incidence of epilepsy, help people to self-manage their condition and provide more care closer to people’s homes – reducing the likelihood of hospital admission. It is estimated that well-managed medication procedures can help around 70 per cent of people with epilepsy to be seizure-free – thereby reducing the risk of emergency admission.
Other measures include:
- Ensuring prompter assessment, diagnosis and treatment for people with epilepsy;
- Each Local Health Board will be required to develop a local action plan for epilepsy and ensure that multi-disciplinary teams are in place; and,
- Developing appropriate evidence-based care pathways to ensure people with epilepsy are treated in the right place, at the right time and by the right person.
The plans were developed in partnership with the All Wales Epilepsy Forum and other key stakeholders including health and social care professionals with special interests and expertise in epilepsy.
Edwina Hart said:
Epilepsy affects thousands of people in Wales, and has a significant and long-term impact on the quality of people’s lives.
This plan is the first of its kind in the UK. I am pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government is leading the way in improving the care and treatment for people living with epilepsy.
The Assembly Government is committed to providing better services that are more patient-centred, integrated across health, social care and voluntary sector organisations and delivered closer to people’s homes to enable them to live their daily lives more easily.
Welcoming the strategy, Ann Reynolds, Chair of the All Wales Epilepsy Forum, said:
We applaud these plans and are delighted to have worked with the Welsh Assembly Government in producing this ground breaking initiative.
If the plans are implemented fully we believe they should lead to real improvements in epilepsy services and have a positive impact for people with epilepsy in Wales.
Notes
- The consultation is targeted at the health and social care community – planners, commissioners and providers of services – as well as people living with epilepsy, the voluntary sector, carers and wider support networks. All of whom play important roles in supporting and improving the lives of people living with epilepsy.
- The strategy has been developed in partnership with the All Wales Epilepsy Forum which is umbrella alliance for all voluntary sector groups supporting epilepsy, including Epilepsy Wales, Epilepsy Action, Epilepsy Bereaved, Gwent Epilepsy, and the Joint Epilepsy Council.
- This is the fourth in a series of publications to guide the design of care and support for people living with chronic conditions in Wales. It supports the key aims of providing treatment and care in more appropriate environments at the right time and delivered by appropriately trained people. Its purpose is to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of people living with epilepsy in Wales.