Epilepsy Consortium Publishes New Report

That the Parliament recognises a new report, Specialist Epilepsy Appointments, which was published in October 2023 by the Epilepsy Consortium as a part of the My Epilepsy, My Choice campaign; acknowledges that epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes recurring seizures and affects one in every 97 people in Scotland; understands that, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the format of consultations for epilepsy has shifted, with the growing use of telephone and video appointments replacing in-person care; supports calls for a return to in-person care, which, it believes, is critical in providing holistic epilepsy support; calls on the Scottish Government to provide true, person-centred care by giving patients the choice between in-person and remote appointments, noting that this is in line with commitment one of the Scottish Government’s own Neurological Care and Support: A Framework for Action 2020-25; believes that epilepsy patients deserve to make informed decisions about their care, and further believes that the impact of epilepsy is unique to each individual, so the care that patients receive should be designed to meet their individual needs.