Current campaigns

CTRL+T  - Control Transition Campaign 

In 2011 we launched our latest campaign for improved help and support for teenagers with epilepsy, their families and carers.  A young person with difficult epilepsy may have additional support needs.  When they are at school these are provided by children’s services.  Before teenagers with epilepsy leave school, families and agencies need to plan to ensure the move (transition) to adult care and support services happens smoothly. View our DVD, campaign leaflet and press release.  More information on this campaign on this page.

You can still support our campaign by writing to your health board, local council, local politician and MSP.

Moving On

If you or a family member has Additional Support Needs and are about to leave school – or just left school – we would love to hear from you. Epilepsy Scotland would like to find out about your experience of moving on to the next step. We would like to know how the move from school went and if you are happy with your day to day life now. Please get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or by emailing atonberg@epilepsyscotland.org.uk

E-Petition for LD care

Rosa Monckton, whose teenage daughter Domenica has Down’s Syndrome, recently launched an e-petition calling on the UK Government to provide dedicated funding for the care of people with learning disabilities.  If the petition secures 100,000 signatures the issue will be debated in the House of Commons.  You can add your name by visiting http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31475 

You can also contact your MP to ask for their support for this e-petition.

Raising awareness about epilepsy

Epilepsy Scotland works continuously to ensure that we raise awareness of epilepsy. Influencing attitudes towards epilepsy is top of our agenda at Epilepsy Scotland. It helps us to fight discrimination and the social stigma associated with epilepsy.

To achieve this goal we involve people with epilepsy and together we inform public opinion, educate the media and influence government policies. We want people to understand epilepsy and how it affects those who live with the condition each day.

We run various campaigns to make sure that we are making an impact with the right people. We lobby MSPs and MPs and initiate parliamentary motions, questions and debates. In recent years we have targeted GPs, teachers and police officers to ensure they are aware of epilepsy.

During 2011, in the run up to the Scottish Parliament elections, Epilepsy Scotland issued an ‘epilepsy challenge’ to the NHS, local authorities and the Scottish Government. It includes:

• Tackling the epilepsy treatment gap: Up to 70% of people with epilepsy could be seizure free with the right treatment – but currently only 52% are. Tackling the treatment gap for epilepsy could improve the quality of life of over 7,000 people in Scotland and save lives.

• More epilepsy specialist nurses (ESNs): Having too few ESNs means people miss out on the best care. 62.5 ESNs are needed in Scotland – but there are currently only 31. Increasing the number of ESNs would mean better epilepsy management, with greater 1:1 support. Having more ESNs could also improve care during transition periods and provide more coordinated help for people with epilepsy, their families and carers. See our campaigns leaflet for more information. 
   
• Better transition services: Transition takes place at critical times, such as when a person moves from child to adult services or adult to later life services. Unfortunately, good planning is rare and many people struggle to get the support they need during these periods. Epilepsy Scotland is campaigning to improve transition services. We would like to see joint council/NHS transition services. We believe better links between health, education, legal, voluntary and social services would give people with epilepsy maximum support. 
   
• Epilepsy awareness in schools: Seizures can impact a child's learning and behaviour in many different ways and seizures are often witnessed at school. However, epilepsy awareness is not part of the school curriculum. Epilepsy Scotland provides epilepsy awareness training in schools and has produced a Guide to epilepsy for teachers. We are campaigning for a national schools awareness programme. Epilepsy training gives teachers confidence in dealing with seizures and a better understanding of how seizures affect learning. Epilepsy awareness among pupils helps reduce social stigma.