Contact Us
Dorset epilepsy service is an advice service, not an emergency service and is staffed Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, excluding bank holidays.
Please avoid using this service to seek urgent medical advice. If you need urgent advice, you should contact your GP or call 111. In an emergency, please call 999.
Telephone: 0300 019 2231 or 0300 019 8486
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Useful links
Telephone: 0300 019 8554
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Resources
Some of our patients describe seizures as ‘the tip of the iceberg’ because they are the most visible and noticeable symptom of epilepsy. They are like the visible part of an iceberg above the waterline. However, there is a lot more going on beneath the surface that might not be immediately visible. Epilepsy involves a great range of factors beyond just the seizures themselves, such as memory problems, low mood, anxiety, medication side effects, and other physical and psychological symptoms. Seizures can also impact a person’s life, affecting their ability to work, drive, and perform simple daily activities. The following are resources related to epilepsy including issues that are less visible but still have a great impact on the life of those with epilepsy.
First seizure information
Epilepsy and driving
Epilepsy and work
- Access to Work: factsheet for customers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Work and employment for people with epilepsy | Epilepsy Society
Epilepsy and wellbeing
- Epilepsy and wellbeing - Epilepsy Action
- Steps2Wellbeing - Steps 2 Wellbeing
- Hope Programme - HOPE PROGRAMME — Hope For The Community CIC (h4c.org.uk)
- Dorset HealthCare courses - Dorset HealthCare :: Courses
Epilepsy and pregnancy
- Epilepsy and pregnancy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Pregnancy and epilepsy | Epilepsy Society
- Pregnancy and epilepsy - Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy at later life
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
About Us
What do we do?
Dorset epilepsy service is based at Poole Hospital and aims to provide support and education for adults across the whole of Dorset who are living with epilepsy, which is estimated to be up to 10,000 people. Care is provided by a team of expert staff, including a consultant neurologist and epilepsy specialist nurses. The team work across the county to provide support in clinics and community settings. They also work closely with GPs and community based teams to ensure suitable support for the long-term care of people with epilepsy.
Our team:
Lead epilepsy specialist nurse - Michelle Knight
Epilepsy specialist nurse - Cindy Sharland
Epilepsy specialist nurse - Richard Wood
Epilepsy team administrator - Claire Sosa-Hernandez
Epilepsy team assistant - Fabian Santos Rowlinson
Consultant Neurologist with a specialist interest in epilepsy - Dr Rupert Page
Our Services
As a service, we work with patients across the whole of Dorset who are registered with a Dorset GP and work very closely with consultant neurologists, neurophysiology, neurorehabilitation, community learning disability teams and the brain injury team.
We provide advice and information about medication, offer additional help and support to patients with a new diagnosis, and hold outpatient clinics across Dorset.
Dorset epilepsy service is an advice service, not an emergency service, staffed Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm excluding bank holidays.
Outpatient services
We hold nurse-led outpatient clinics in Poole Hospital, Swanage Health Centre, Weymouth Community Hospital, Dorset County Hospital and at the Royal Manor Health Centre in Portland. Patients are mainly seen virtually, either by telephone or video call.
Training
Dorset epilepsy service also offers epilepsy awareness and buccal midazolam training courses to staff, friends, or family. Our main training sites are St Mary’s Church Centre in Poole, and the Dorford Centre in Dorchester. This training is free for all NHS staff and £60 for the rest of the public.
Upcoming events
- 31 July 2024 – St Mary’s Church Centre, Poole
- 18 November 2024 – Dorford Centre, Dorchester
For more training dates, please refer to the information sheets under relevant documents
If you would like to attend our training sessions, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the following information:
- full name
- job title
- employer
- email (preferably work email)
- date and location of the training session you would like to attend
Relevant documents
- Epilepsy awareness and buccal midazolam training flyer
- Poole: epilepsy and buccal midazolam training information sheet
- Dorchester: epilepsy and buccal midazolam training information sheet
If you have any queries about the training, please contact us
.Epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a serious condition that affects the brain, causing repeated seizures. It is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world and affects around 600,000 people in the UK. People are usually only diagnosed with epilepsy if their doctor thinks there is a high chance more seizures could happen. Epilepsy can start at any age, at any time. Some types only last for a period of time, but for many people it is a life-long condition.
Living with epilepsy
Sheila Danks is 57 and lives in Corfe Mullen, near Wimborne. She was diagnosed with complex partial epilepsy – the most common type of epilepsy – at the age of five.
Over 50 years on, Sheila still suffers up to twelve seizures a month, sometimes more, but she refuses to let her condition rule her life: “Epilepsy is very unpredictable but this is all part and parcel of the condition,” she says. “I don’t look upon my epilepsy as a disability - more of a little pest! I won’t let seizures rule my everyday life, and I look at this in a positive manner by safely deciding when, where, what and how I will do things… why should I let the possibility of a seizure occurring prevent me from going somewhere?”
Now a volunteer with the National Society for Epilepsy, Sheila has a positive message to give to people who might have just been diagnosed with the condition: “It can be daunting, frightening and scary being told you have epilepsy, and it can make you feel like the bottom has fallen out of your world. Thankfully, there’s lots of help out there - different web sites, epilepsy nurses, forums etc. Try to speak to other people who also have epilepsy - this can prove informative but also comforting, as you will know you’re not the only person out there with this unpredictable condition.”
She also has some advice for people learning to live with epilepsy: “Try to live as normal a life as possible. Look after yourself, take your medication regularly as prescribed and try to achieve a regular sleep pattern. Keep a diary so you know when and how often you have seizures.”
”Try not to let people stigmatise or discriminate against you,” she adds. “Offer to educate them instead so when they ever meet somebody else with epilepsy, they will be better informed.”
