Fund more training for epilepsy training for healthcare staff
- 142 Signatures
(Estimated Final Signatures: 161 - 1 added in the past 24hrs)
I would like the Government to fund epilepsy training for all healthcare staff in Maternity services, A&E and hospitals, to try and improve care and support for people with Epilepsy.
Found: I don't think epilepsy is being adequately catered for, as outlined in NASH Report 2020.
Jan. 31 2024
Source Page: Cyberflashing, epilepsy-trolling and fake news to put online abusers behind bars from todayFound: Cyberflashing, epilepsy-trolling and fake news to put online abusers behind bars from today
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of epilepsy (a) awareness and (b) first aid training for prison staff.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The HMPPS National Health and Safety Arrangements for First and Emergency Aid (publishing.service.gov.uk) require each prison to complete a first aid needs assessment, taking account of local risk and demand. All sites must have in place suitable numbers of adequately trained staff, equipment, and facilities to meet the need for first aid provision. First Aid training provided to prison staff – such as the course provided by St Johns Ambulance, which includes a wide range of topics, including how to deal with epileptic seizures – meets the standard required to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations.
Information for all HMPPS staff about epilepsy is provided on the Occupational Health employee information website https://hmpps.workplacewellbeing.com/guidance/epilepsy/. This explains how epilepsy affects safety at work, and how managers can ensure adequate first aid cover by reviewing risk assessments, implementing reasonable adjustments, and making referrals to Occupational Health.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure adequate levels of supply of medications prescribed for epilepsy.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are around 14,000 medicines licensed for supply in the United Kingdom, and while most are in good supply, there can sometimes be supply issues with a limited number of medicines. The medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global. Supply disruption is an issue which affects the UK, as well as the other countries around the world.
The Department has been working intensively to address issues with the supply of some epilepsy medications. Guidance has been issued to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring affected medicines while supply is disrupted.
We will continue to work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock. The Department has been engaging with the Epilepsy Society, and we will continue to keep them updated on any developments.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the level of stocks of epilepsy medication in south London pharmacies as of 12 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has a role to play in ensuring that supplies of medicines are available nationally, and in sufficient quantity to meet demand. The Department does not monitor stocks of medicine at a local level, and as such no assessment has been made of the level of stocks of epilepsy medication in South London pharmacies.
The Department has been working intensively with the pharmaceutical industry, National Health Service, and others to address issues with the supply of some epilepsy medications. As a result of our action, some supply issues with Tegretol prolonged-release tablets have been resolved. However, some issues remain, and we are working with suppliers to resolve these as soon as possible by expediting future deliveries, and ensuring that alternative products remain available. We have issued guidance to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring affected medicines while supply is disrupted. The Department has been engaging with the Epilepsy Society to keep them updated on developments.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to increase supplies of epilepsy medication in south London.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has a role to play in ensuring that supplies of medicines are available nationally, and in sufficient quantity to meet demand. The Department does not monitor stocks of medicine at a local level, and as such no assessment has been made of the level of stocks of epilepsy medication in South London pharmacies.
The Department has been working intensively with the pharmaceutical industry, National Health Service, and others to address issues with the supply of some epilepsy medications. As a result of our action, some supply issues with Tegretol prolonged-release tablets have been resolved. However, some issues remain, and we are working with suppliers to resolve these as soon as possible by expediting future deliveries, and ensuring that alternative products remain available. We have issued guidance to healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring affected medicines while supply is disrupted. The Department has been engaging with the Epilepsy Society to keep them updated on developments.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department plans to take in the next year to help ensure that children with severe epilepsy can access effective cannabis-based medications through the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The licensed cannabis-based medicine epidyolex is prescribed routinely for three forms of epilepsy, for patients aged two years old and above. However, clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines.
We continue to call on the manufacturers of these products to conduct research, and we are working with regulatory, research, and National Health Service partners to establish clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these products, to enable evidence based prescribing decisions.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects the randomised controlled trials to test medicinal cannabis for adults and children with epilepsy to begin; which NHS Trusts will be participating in these trials; how many patients will be involved in the trials; and whether patients will be approached to participate.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is developing a programme of two randomised controlled trials to test the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis products to treat epilepsy in adults and children. The trials will start as soon as possible, and results will be published once the trials have been completed and the findings peer reviewed. The trial details are in development.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase provision of epilepsy treatment in (a) Hull West and Hessle constituency and (b) nationally.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The majority of health services for people with epilepsy are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of health services to their local population, including for the treatment of epilepsy, subject to local prioritisation and funding.
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement for those with epilepsy, including NHS England’s Neuroscience Service Transformation Programme and the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit.
The National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on epilepsies in children, young people, and adults [NG217], published in April 2022, covers diagnosing and managing epilepsy in primary and secondary care, and referral to tertiary services. Recommendation 8.1 states that a ketogenic diet should be considered under the guidance of a tertiary epilepsy specialist for certain childhood-onset epilepsy syndromes, and for drug resistant epilepsy when other treatments have failed or are not appropriate. More information on this is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng217/chapter/8-Non-pharmacological-treatments#ketogenic-diet
We expect National Health Service commissioners to take NICE guidelines into full account in designing services that meet the needs of their local populations. It is, however, important to note that NICE guidelines are not mandatory and do not override a clinician’s responsibility to make decisions appropriate to individual patients, in consultation with them and their families.