The Epilepsy Society (formerly known as the National Society for Epilepsy) is the largest medical

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

in the field of

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK, its stated mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy by promoting research, education and public awareness and by delivering specialist medical care and support services." The Epilepsy Society has close partnerships with the

National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (informally the National Hospital or Queen Square) is a neurological hospital in Queen Square, London. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It was the ...

(NHNN) and the

UCL Institute of Neurology The UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology is an institute within the Faculty of Brain Sciences of University College London (UCL) and is located in London, United Kingdom. Together with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, an ...

, both located in

Queen Square, London Queen Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of central London. Many of its buildings are associated with medicine, particularly neurology. Construction Queen Square was originally constructed between 1716 and 1725. It was formed ...

Services

Epilepsy Society is a leading epilepsy medical charity supporting all people affected by epilepsy. The services provided by the charity include: * Residential care for over 100 adults within care homes at the Chalfont Centre and also in supported living accommodation.Chalfont Centre
Duncan, JS & G Faulkner. ''Seizure''. 2003. Retrieved 13/04/18 * Diagnosis, assessment and treatment at the Sir William Gowers Centre in Chalfont, Buckinghamshire.Brain Damage Link to Epilepsy
BBC News * Research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Research focuses on brain imaging and genetics. * Epilepsy information, a national helpline and awareness raising programmes. * Campaigning on issues to help all people affected by epilepsy live as full a life as possible * Epilepsy training to external organisations. * Employment opportunities for people with epilepsy.Epilepsy Employment Stigma can be Overcome
UCB News, May 2016

History

Passmore Edwards House, Chalfont Centre - geograph

In 1892, a group of physicians from National Hospital for the Paralysed and the Epileptic, together with various philanthropists, founded the National Society for the Employment of Epileptics. The first executive committee of the Society included the notable physicians John Hughlings Jackson, Sir William Gowers, and

David Ferrier Sir David Ferrier FRS (13 January 1843 – 19 March 1928) was a pioneering Scottish neurologist and psychologist. Ferrier conducted experiments on the brains of animals such as monkeys and in 1881 became the first scientist to be prosecuted ...

. The aim was to establish an agricultural colony where people with epilepsy could live and work. A farm was bought in Chalfont St Peter which at its peak in the 1950s, cared for over 550 people. A

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

treatment unit was established at Chalfont in 1972. Around this time, the Society became known as The National Society for Epilepsy (NSE). In 1995 a 1.5 tesla

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

scanner was installed - the first dedicated to research in

. This has now been superseded by a 3 tesla instrument in 2004, which produces higher resolution images. The NSE's MRI Unit is at the forefront of medical imaging research applied to epilepsy. In 2011 the charity changed its name to Epilepsy Society.

Epilepsy Tool Kit App

In 2011 the Epilepsy Society, aided by

Citrix Citrix Systems, Inc. is an American multinational cloud computing and virtualization technology company that provides server, application and desktop virtualization, networking, software as a service (SaaS), and cloud computing technologi ...

, launched the Epilepsy tool kit app, first for iPhones and later for Android.Youtube Clip of review of ES App
BBC World News (via youtube), Sep 2011.Epilepsy Society & Citrix launch App
Computer Weekly, May 2011, Nick Booth, Retrieved 13/04/18. The app has various primary functions and abilities, including: *Seizure Diary - patients/carers to record seizure details (variety, frequency, length etc.) *First Aid - providing advice to advise people what to do in the case of someone having a seizure - both before and after. This is heavily designed to reduce some of the actions frequently taken by seizure bystanders which cause additional injuries or unnecessary emergency services action - holding down, inserting items into mouths, early calling of ambulances etc.Public "ignorant" about epilepsy
BBC News *Medication & Reminders - to allow tracking of complex pharmaceutical regimes, both to ensure correct supply of medication and correct timetabling. Viewpoints regarding the app creation were generally positive, although it has been noted that the bystander advice is less well-designed for point-of-seizure reading.

References

External links

Epilepsy Society website

Entry on the Register of Charities
from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Lost Hospitals of London, History of Chalfont St. Peter's epileptic colony
{{Authority control Charities based in Buckinghamshire Health charities in the United Kingdom Epilepsy organizations Organizations established in 1892