A GP will usually refer anyone who has had a first suspected seizure to a first seizure clinic or epilepsy specialist at the hospital.
A diagnosis of epilepsy should always be made by an epilepsy specialist, which is usually a neurologist at your hospital.
The specialist will do a basic clinical examination and take a detailed medical history. They will also want to speak to anyone who has witnessed the suspected seizure. If you have video footage of the suspected seizure(s), take this with you to the appointment.
A diagnosis is usually made by ruling out any other medical conditions that can cause a seizure. There is no single test to diagnose epilepsy. There are, however, some tests that can confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy and can help identify the cause and/or type of epilepsy.
For more detailed information about what to expect when being diagnosed with epilepsy, read our Diagnosing Epilepsy publication.
