Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to reduce discrimination faced by people diagnosed with epilepsy in the workplace.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) protection is available where a worker or job applicant’s condition fits the definition of a disability set out in section 6 of the Act.
Under the Act, a person meets the definition of disability if they have ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. The Act defines long-term in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.
Where a person meets the Act’s definition of disability, the employment provisions make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against such employees and applicants. The Act also places a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, which may place disabled people at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for people with epilepsy from Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department recognises that epilepsy is a serious neurological condition, which can greatly affect an individual’s ability to work and live well.
Disability Employment Advisers are trained work coaches , followed by additional role specific learning designed to support their role. This learning enables Disability Employment Advisers to treat each claimant as an individual, understand the impact of different disabilities and health conditions, and provide tailored support to help overcome barriers to employment.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist support to help individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Disability Employment Advisers work with the local community to advocate for customers, collaborate with local partners such as employers, voluntary organisations, the NHS and local government services to facilitate support that meets local needs and promote other programmes such as Disability Confident and Work Well.
For those with health conditions and disabled people that would benefit from more intensive support, Jobcentre staff can signpost people to Connect to Work, our local-area led support in England and Wales. This started to go live in April 2025 and we expect it to be live in all areas of England and Wales by early 2026. In Connect to Work, participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Participants are supported to have conversations with prospective employers, helping to remove the need to go through complex application processes. The employment adviser works with both the employer and the participant to ensure that the transition into work is smooth and that the workplace is inclusive.
We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. We are already making progress, and there are now over 1000 Pathways to Work Advisors in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales who are helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work.
And through the new Jobs and Careers Service, the department will enhance support so that customers can access the help they need at the right time.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people aged between 18 and 25 have epilepsy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. However, the following table shows a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) and distinct patients where there is a primary diagnosis, or any diagnosis, of epilepsy, where the patient was aged 18 to 25 years old on admission, in 2024/25, in English National Health Service hospitals:
| Primary diagnosis | Any diagnosis | ||
Year | Admissions | Patients | Admissions | Patients |
2024/25 | 3,717 | 2,708 | 18,409 | 9,839 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England
Notes:
Please be aware that this data does not represent the total number of people aged between 18 and 25 years old who have a diagnosis of epilepsy. This data only represents the number of patients aged between 18 and 25 years old with epilepsy who required hospital admission in 2024/25. The data presented here will, therefore, only represent a small proportion of the total number of people aged between 18 and 25 years old who have a diagnosis of epilepsy.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support access to (a) public transport and (b) mobility schemes for people with epilepsy who are unable to drive.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to reliable and affordable public transport, and we appreciate how important this is for people who are unable to drive.
We are committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. From safer and more accessible bus stops and stations, to more comprehensive disability training for drivers and frontline staff and a new requirement for local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks, the Bill will help ensure that local bus services better meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including disabled people who are unable to drive.
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free bus travel in England, to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 9:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends and bank holidays. Those who would, if they applied for a driving licence, have their application refused on the grounds of medical fitness, are eligible for an ENCTS bus pass.
The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. GBR will be a new, publicly owned company with accountable, integrated leadership across track and train, sitting at the heart of the reformed rail sector. This will help drive a more consistent passenger experience ensuring a relentless focus on high performance and service standards for Britain’s railways.
Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways.
We are already taking action ahead of the establishment of GBR to make rail travel easier and more reliable for disabled passengers, including investing over £10 million in upgrades to the Passenger Assist Scheme which supports disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. We have improved information about the facilities available to provide support to passengers at stations and will be publishing a rail accessibility roadmap which sets out the actions we are taking to make the railway more accessible ahead of GBR being established.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that school staff receive training on how to support pupils with epilepsy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010. The effectiveness of a school is assessed through inspection by Ofsted.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people with epilepsy in the workplace.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.
Disabled people and people with health conditions, including epilepsy, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including epilepsy, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.
It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the DWP and DHSC Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.
Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) services and (b) support for people affected by Functional Neurological Disorder.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The majority of services for people with neurological conditions, including functional neurological disorder (FND), are commissioned locally. Integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are best placed to configure services for their populations, supported by clinical guidance.
NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is supporting ICBs to deliver the right services, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.
NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkits, including the Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, the Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Epilepsy Toolkit, aim to improve care for patients with neurological conditions by reducing variation.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in October 2025. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or FND. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase research funding into the development of anti-epileptic drugs with fewer side effects and greater efficacy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including epilepsy treatment and side effects.
These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on epilepsy to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the NIHR’s Open Data website, at the following link:
https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/
The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including epilepsy.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people with epilepsy to monitor seizures.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At a national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with epilepsy, such as the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit, the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the Neurology Transformation Programme.
The RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit signposts readers to the Epilepsy Self-Monitoring app developed by SUDEP Action, which is a digital tool designed to help patients understand their own personal risk of seizures, and to track and manage this risk.
In our recently published 10-Year Health Plan, we set out our plans to expand the use of wearable technologies and biosensors which will be able to provide ‘real-time data’ and help patients track and monitor their health, including people with epilepsy.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure employers provide reasonable adjustments for employees with epilepsy.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled employee, including employees with epilepsy, would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.