Epilepsy is a neurological condition which presents in as many as 50 different types. It is diagnosed when someone has recurrent seizures (also known to many people as fits, grand mal, petit mal, absences). It is caused by excess electrical activity in the brain.

Over 440,000 people have epilepsy in the UK. It is the most serious neurological condition is a major long-term disability with similar numbers of people affected as insulin dependent diabetes.

Many of the world’s leading epilepsy specialists work in the UK, but:

	very few GPS understand epilepsy sufficiently.
	there are too few consultant neurologists specialising in epilepsy in both adult and paediatric care.
	for far too many people it takes far too long to have an EEG or MRI examination. EEG and MRI are scanning techniques used to diagnose and treat epilepsy accurately.
	two out of five people experiencing seizures could be seizure fee, but are not.
	50% of children with epilepsy under perform at school.

The JEC believes a range of initiatives would bridge this gap. See our Epilepsy Manifesto – “Epilepsy – The case for …… Making the choice agenda relevant to people with epilepsy”.