11 May 2008

$5 million Comprehensive Epilepsy Service to boost diagnosis and treatment

NSW Minister for Health Reba Meagher today announced a $5 million investment over three years as part of a major initiative to improve access and assessment services and provide better treatment options for people with epilepsy.

Ms Meagher said the NSW Comprehensive Epilepsy Service will bring together the expertise within paediatric and adult services and provide assessment and treatment for up to an extra 400 people each year.

“More than 137,000 children and adults in NSW are affected by epilepsy during their lifetime,” Ms Meagher said.

“We already have a well-established network of services for children, operating across Sydney Children’s Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

“This initiative builds on that program to provide a comprehensive network of adult services, liinking the highly-specialised services at Royal Prince Alfred, Prince of Wales and Westmead hospitals to provide a statewide service.”

The NSW Comprehensive Epilepsy Service will be established over the next three years, and will comprise:

• Additional nursing, medical and support staff
• New specialist training positions in Neurology
• Enhanced assessment and monitoring equipment, including video EEG, to assist inaccurate diagnosis
• Establishment of a coordination centre to better collect data and share information

“While there have been significant advances in anti-epileptic medications over the years, in around 30 per cent of cases epilepsy cannot be adequately managed by medication and some people experience more than 20 seizures a day,” Ms Meagher said.

“The debilitating impact of these seizures can lead to isolation, anxiety and despair for sufferers and can become a significant challenge to leading a normal life.

“For those people, this service will provide access to better treatment options, including surgery, and a better chance at managing their epilepsy.”

In the lead up to Epilepsy Awareness Week, Ms Meagher acknowledged the ongoing role of Epilepsy Action Australia in improving the lives of people with epilepsy.

“I am pleased to announce funding of $340,000 for Epilepsy Action Australia to ensure better access to services for people living in rural and regional areas,” Ms Meagher said.

“This funding will allow Epilepsy Action Australia to utilise technology such as video and teleconferencing and computer-based training to reach out to people in rural and regional communities and remove the barriers created by distance.”

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au