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First Seizure Clinic

Checked: 23-03-2018 by katy baetjer Next Review: 23-03-2019

Service Overview

This service is run by the Neurology department at NBT. The clinic is run by Dr Howard Faulkner, a Consultant Neurologist with specialist training in Epilepsy with support from Epilepsy Specialist Nurses. The clinic will endeavour to see patients within 2 weeks* of referral in line with the NICE guidance. Please note this is not a syncope or dizzy clinic and in order to see patients with first seizures rapidly they will unfortunately have to reject such referrals.

The service hopes that this clinic will represent a significant improvement in service and will offer patients a rapid and specialist assessment after a first seizure.

*STOP PRESS (December 2018)- current waits for first seizure clinic are well in excess of 2 weeks. If a referrer is worried about a particular patient then the Referral Service advises that the on call neurology registrar is contacted for advice.

Referral Guidance

Referrals must be made using the First Seizure Clinic referral form (word doc) and can now be submitted via e-Referral.

The Patient Information Sheet (word doc) is to be printed and given to the patient.

Patients must fulfil ALL of these criteria:

Above 16 years old
New onset seizures or blackouts (Syncope should not be referred)
Patient has made a full recovery from event
Not under a neurologist for seizures/blackouts (please refer back to the team involved)
Patient information sheet given out

Please note this is not a syncope or dizzy clinic and in order to see patients with first seizures rapidly we will unfortunately have to reject such referrals.

Please also warn patients regarding driving while they are waiting to be seen - see resources section below.

Resources

DVLA guidelines for clinicians:

Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

DVLA guidelines for patients

Epilepsy and driving - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.