Who we are...

The Children’s Epilepsy Service consists of Consultant Paediatricians (with an interest in Epilepsy) and a Children’s Epilepsy Nurse Specialist.

The team works closely with Specialist Epilepsy and Neurology Centres such as Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel where additional investigations can be carried out.

What we do...

The epilepsy out-patient clinics is for children aged 0-16 years and runs regularly at Homerton Hospital and Hackney ARK child development centre. The clinic monitors and oversees: 

• Support starting on new anti-epileptic drugs for children with a variety of seizure disorders

• Advise on and support starting on rescue medication for children with epilepsy

• Monitor response to anti-epilepsy drug treatment

• Refer children for investigations, for example for EEG, Video Telemetry

• Make onward referrals to tertiary neurology and specialist epilepsy services

Tertiary care is healthcare provided in specialist centres which have access to more specialised equipment and expertise for specific conditions.

The Children’s Epilepsy Service also host transition clinics with the adult epilepsy service 6 times a year.

Children’s Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

The Children’s Epilepsy Nurse Specialist is involved with any child referred to the Children’s Epilepsy Service at Homerton University Hospital and is able to offer:

• Home visits – for some children and families following diagnosis or if the level of complexity warrants a home visit with other professionals.  

• Telephone advice and support for children and families between appointments particularly following a new diagnosis of epilepsy. The specilaist nurse can discuss first aid, safety, care plan, medication doses and side effects.

• Ongoing support and advice to carers and families of children, for example about safety, school or travel.

• Advice on applications for charity grants or government benefits

• Training in administering rescue medication – buccal midazolam – in clinic and community settings

• Support and advice in compiling School Health Care Plans and Epilepsy Passports

• Advice and support to other professionals in City and Hackney about children with Epilepsy

• Liaison and jointly work with the multi-disciplinary team.