On the second day of #EpilepsyWeek we speak about the urgent need for Epilepsy Nurse Specialists !

On the second day of #EpilepsyWeek, we continue our focus on the various elements of our campaign around Sodium Valproate(Epilim). Today we are highlighting how measures must be put in place to help ensure no family is impacted by Sodium Valproate. Many of our followers have been personally impacted by Sodium Valproate and are caring for children with lifelong disabilities and we would not wish our experience on any other family.

As part of our ongoing campaigning on Sodium Valproate, the Pregnancy Prevention Programme was established. This aimed to ensure that women were fully informed of the risks of Valproate and that they would be seen by epilepsy services once a year to sign an annual risk acknowledgement form. In order to for the extra demand this process would place on epilepsy services, it was agreed in 2018 that 6 Epilepsy Nurse Specialists would be recruited in help ensure all women on the drug were and kept informed.

To date, only two of these posts have been filled. We need to see these posts recruited immediately to help ensure that no other family is impacted by Sodium Valproate. #AdvocateForEpilepsy this #EpilepsyWeek and ask your local TD’s to apply political pressure to get these posts filled. See link below for more on this and check back in tomorrow to learn more about another aspect of our campaign.

Thank you

https://www.epilepsy.ie/content/sodium-valproate-epilim-campaign-0