Epilepsy service provision in the National Health Service in England in 2012

PURPOSE The National Health Service in the United Kingdom compares favourably on many international measures of quality and cost-effectiveness. It has many centres of excellence for epilepsy care and in some areas is a world-leader. However, for over twenty years there have been concerns that the provision of good quality care is variable and in many areas major improvements are required. We report the results of the latest major survey into the quality of epilepsy care in the NHS. METHODS Four target groups were sent questionnaires: acute hospital trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, local authorities and patients. Each questionnaire was specifically designed by Epilepsy Action after reviewing national guidance and quality standards. RESULTS We present the key results of the survey and we discuss them in the context of the latest national guidelines, quality standards, the organisational structure of the NHS and the research literature. CONCLUSION Although there are some examples of excellent services for people with epilepsy these results show that overall there has been little improvement in recent years and there continues to be significant geographical variability in quality with many areas offering sub-optimal care.