§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on progress towards an action plan for reducing sudden death by epilepsy; [97982]
(2) what guidance he gives to consultants of patients with epilepsy to ensure that those patients are fully informed about the risks of sudden death from the complaint. [97983]
§ Jacqui SmithWe are committed to improving services for people with epilepsy. We have published an epilepsy action plan in response to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) sponsored national clinical audit of epilepsy-related death and recommendations in the chief medical officer's 2001 annual report. The action plan is available in the Library.
The audit report and action plan draw the attention of local National Health Service clinicians and organisations to the need to establish or review policies and practices regarding the management of epilepsy and epilepsy related deaths.