Ulster Unionist Health spokesperson Roy Beggs MLA has demanded the Health Minister adopts more ambitious targets for epilepsy services in Northern Ireland than is the case in England.  

Speaking in a debate on an Assembly motion which called on the Minister to bring epilepsy services into line with the equivalent in the rest of the United Kingdom, Mr Beggs said:

 “Epilepsy affects over 13,000 people in Northern Ireland, making it the largest group of patients affected by a neurological condition.  I understand that over 210 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every month.  However, I understand that we have a shortage of specialist medical care staff to deal with the current numbers, never mind this additional monthly increase. Clearly change is needed.

The motion before us called for epilepsy services to be brought into line with the equivalent provide in the rest of the United Kingdom.  I’m sorry to say that I find this to be lacking in ambition, and I would call for the Minister to aim to establish a higher quality service in Northern Ireland than that which operates in England. 

The Epilepsy Actions report - “A critical Time for Epilepsy in England” which was published in January 2013, indicates that “Epilepsy health services in England are not good enough and varies in different areas.  

• Patients      must have access to specialist nurses (missing in English 50% of trusts)
• Waiting      times to see a specialist must be within the NICE guidelines (80% of      English trusts fail this)
• Effective      referral to other treatment (73% of patients with uncontrolled seizures      have never been referred to a specialist centre to investigate      alternatives such as surgery) 

I want better than this for patients in Northern Ireland. A sub-standard service which varies across the Province is  unacceptable. 

We should instead be aiming to be the front runner in epilepsy service provision, not merely matching a poor service that is provided in parts of England. I therefore call on the Health Minister to adopt all of the 10 recommendations made by epilepsy Action to improve the service and to state when they will be implemented. And if not, to say why not.”