NATIONAL EPILEPSY WEEK AND NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR EPILEPSY

That this House recognises National Epilepsy Week; congratulates the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) on the progress it has made in establishing links between epilepsy and genetic make up; further recognises that this is helping healthcare to move into the 21st century and to improve the lives of the 456,000 people with epilepsy in the United Kingdom; notes that genetic profiling developed by the NSE will revolutionise diagnosis and will assist in understanding the cause of epilepsy and in choosing which anti-epileptic medication to prescribe and at what dose; further notes that this will help to save some of the vast sums, estimated at over £225 million, that are wasted as a result of trial and error applications as well as providing patients with more effective treatments; and supports the NSE in its efforts to raise the £5 million needed to develop a dedicated genetics research facility at its Chalfont Centre to take forward this vital research.