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Epilepsy (Specialist Nurses)

The aim of the service is to provide high quality, personalised, non-judgemental, ongoing specialist and patient centred care for people with epilepsy so that they can have the best quality of life possible. The service aims to provide a seamless multidisciplinary care package for those patients accessing care across NHS Norfolk.

The goals of the service are:

  • To optimise medical therapies for patients with epilepsy, improving quality of life for patients and reducing mortality rates,
  • To provide appropriate treatment and advice in line with recognised standards and guidelines;
  • To work with patients to optimise their health (physically, psychologically, and socially) to minimise the impact of the disease, reduce exacerbation rate, minimise side-effects of therapy and promote rehabilitation;
  • To support patients in their home settings in order to reduce hospital admission and prevent re-admissions due to exacerbations of disease;
  • To improve service consistency, delivery and access for patients with epilepsy in a cost-effective manner;
  • To encourage patients to be actively involve in the management of their own condition,
  • To ensure that the use of telehealth technology is considered as an option to support patients at home.
  • To promote the personalisation agenda
  • To help patients and families plan for the future
  • To apply advanced clinical and leadership skills to ensure that the most appropriate care and support are delivered at all times
  • To encourage patients and their carers to look at how personal health budgets can help to meet their need
  • Provide a telephone helpline service for patients, carers and professionals
  • Identify initiative and/or participate in audit, research and development activities to enhance service delivery

The service will:

  • Provide expert clinical knowledge and skills in the management of patients with confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy
  • Develop joint clinics as required with GPs, Consultant Neurologists, /Consultant Neuro Psychiatrists.
  • Develop support programme/groups to provide education & support to patients with epilepsy, including end of life issues in collaboration with palliative care team
  • Improve multidisciplinary working/service. To devise a multidisciplinary service which is equitable and responsive to the needs of patients within tertiary, secondary and primary care settings with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy.
  • Provide education of to other members of healthcare teams within Primary and Secondary Care.
  • Support and encourage adherence to recognised clinical guidelines among clinicians
  • Establish care management plans with the patient
  • Referral on patients for additional services
  • Combine high level assessments of physical, mental and social needs
  • Review medication and prescribe medicines as independent or supplementary prescribers
  • Teach and educate patients and their carers about warning signs of complications or crises
  • Provide information so that patients and their carers can make choices about care needs now and in the future
  • Be seen by colleagues across all agencies as having a key role for patients with epilepsy
  • Ensure that all patients are safe guarded
  • Promote the use of assistive technology where ever possible to support the patient
  • Engage with the development of personal health plans ensuring that all patients with a long term condition will have a personal health plan by 2010
  • Engage with the development of personal health budgets
  • Ensure carers needs are identified and supported through carers care plans and health checks
  • Be fully conversant with the process for screening patients for continuing care where health needs escalate and aware of the referral process within NHS Norfolk
  • Have knowledge of mental health needs in particular dementia care for those clients in the community and be in the position to support such patients to effectively navigate to mental health services if escalation of mental health needs is evident

Who this Service is for

The service will be provided for adults aged 16 and over living within NHS Norfolk geographical boundaries.

Location

The service is based at Lawson Road Health Centre, Norwich

How to Find Us

Sources of Referral

Patients will be referred from primary or secondary care to a single point of access. Local authority and third sector bodies may also refer to the service as appropriate.

Referral Contact Number

01603 428103

Hours of Service

The service will ensure that patients and their carers can routinely access at convenient hours from 9am to 5pm on 5 day week basis.

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