First Seizure Clinic (Dr Neligan)

The first seizure clinic is a specialist clinic at The Homerton Hospital run by a Epileptologist for anyone with a suspected first seizure or a new diagnosis of Epilepsy.

The current NICE guidelines (2012) on epilepsy and epileptic seizures recommend that all people with a suspected first seizure or a new diagnosis should be seen by a specialist within 2 weeks. It is with the aim of being compliant with the guidelines that the first seizure clinic has been set up.

• Appointments and referrals can be made by you or your GP via The Electronic Referral Service (e-RS). We will do our best to see patients with 2 weeks. Patients who have attended A&E at Homerton with a suspected first seizure or a new diagnosis of epilepsy will be automatically referred to the first seizure clinic but this will not be the case if they have attend A&E at another hospital. 
• The criteria for referral are anyone suspected of a first seizure. 
• The exclusion criteria is as follows:
  • Anyone with a previous diagnosis
  • Anyone with a known diagnosis of psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizure
  • Anyone under the age of 16
  • Anyone with any primary neurological presentation other than seizure related. 

Please note that if a patient misses their 1st appointment and a further appointment is made, the patient will be re-booked into the General Neurology Service.

Complex Epilepsy Clinic (Dr Neligan and Harriet Spencer)
The complex epilepsy clinic is a joint clinic run with the clinical nurse specialist, to assist in the better management of people with complex or Pharmacoresistant / refractory epilepsy. 
The criteria for referral:

• Anyone new to the area with an established pattern of Pharmacoresistant epilepsy seen elsewhere.
• People with poorly controlled epilepsy who have been lost to neurology follow-up 

Exclusion criteria:

• People with well controlled epilepsy
• People with occasional break-through seizures who should be referred through the general neurology pathway.