IEC 2023 | Running a nurse-led, one stop, first seizure clinic

Phil Tittensor, RNMH, MSc, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK, talks on his experience implementing a consultant nurse led, one-stop, first seizure clinic. In the UK, NICE guidelines indicate that for a recent-onset suspected seizure, referrals should be seen within two weeks. This nurse-led, ‘one stop’ clinic was designed to reduce waiting times and holistically evaluate people experiencing a suspected first seizure. Patients undergo a detailed clinical assessment, EEG, and sometimes MRI at the clinic, receiving results and advice during a single visit. Patients are followed up where necessary and have access to the urgent helpline and clinics. In a recent single center evaluation of the first seizure clinic, Mr Tittensor reported that most patients did not have epilepsy. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and provoked seizures were common. As well as increasing capacity and reducing hospital visits, the first seizure clinic provides opportunities for research, with novel studies underway. This interview took place at the International Epilepsy Congress 2023 in Dublin, Ireland.

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