The Epilepsy Society (formerly known as the National Society for Epilepsy) is the largest medical charity in the field of

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...

in the United Kingdom, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in

Chalfont St Peter Chalfont St Peter is a large village and civil parish in southeastern Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe a ...

, Buckinghamshire, UK, its stated mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy by promoting research, education and public awareness and by delivering specialist medical care and support services." The Epilepsy Society has close partnerships with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the UCL Institute of Neurology, both located in Queen Square, London.

Services

Epilepsy Society is a leading epilepsy medical charity supporting all people affected by epilepsy. The services provided by the charity include: * Residential care for over 100 adults within care homes at the Chalfont Centre and also in supported living accommodation.Chalfont Centre
Duncan, JS & G Faulkner. ''Seizure''. 2003. Retrieved 13/04/18 * Diagnosis, assessment and treatment at the Sir William Gowers Centre in Chalfont, Buckinghamshire.Brain Damage Link to Epilepsy
BBC News * Research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Research focuses on brain imaging and genetics. * Epilepsy information, a national helpline and awareness raising programmes.Public "ignorant" about epilepsy
BBC News * Campaigning on issues to help all people affected by epilepsy live as full a life as possible * Epilepsy training to external organisations. * Employment opportunities for people with epilepsy.Epilepsy Employment Stigma can be Overcome
UCB News, May 2016

History

In 1892, a group of physicians from National Hospital for the Paralysed and the Epileptic, together with various philanthropists, founded the National Society for the Employment of Epileptics. The first executive committee of the Society included the notable physicians John Hughlings Jackson, Sir William Gowers, and

David Ferrier Sir David Ferrier FRS (13 January 1843 – 19 March 1928) was a pioneering Scottish neurologist and psychologist. Ferrier conducted experiments on the brains of animals such as monkeys and in 1881 became the first scientist to be prosecuted ...

. The aim was to establish an agricultural colony where people with epilepsy could live and work. A farm was bought in Chalfont St Peter which at its peak in the 1950s, cared for over 550 people. A

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

treatment unit was established at Chalfont in 1972. Around this time, the Society became known as The National Society for Epilepsy (NSE). In 1995 a 1.5 tesla

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...

scanner was installed - the first dedicated to research in

. This has now been superseded by a 3 tesla instrument in 2004, which produces higher resolution images. The NSE's MRI Unit is at the forefront of

medical imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to revea ...

research applied to epilepsy. In 2011 the charity changed its name to Epilepsy Society.

Online safety

In April 2019, the Epilepsy Society launched a campaign to ban so-called epilepsy trolling, where online trolls target people with epilepsy, sending them flashing images and GIFs with the intent of triggering a

seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...

. Following a large-scale attack on people with epilepsy in May 2020, including an 8 year old charity

fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

named Zach Eagling, the Epilepsy Society titled the campaign "Zach's Law." After it emerged that no existing legislation specifically criminalised this type of trolling, the Zach's Law campaign was endorsed by the

Law Commission (England and Wales) In England and Wales the Law Commission () is an independent law commission set up by Parliament by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reforms. The organisation is headed by a Chai ...

, featured on the front cover of the

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first ...

and in the

Metro (British newspaper) ''Metro'' is a British freesheet tabloid newspaper published by DMG Media. The newspaper is distributed from Monday to Friday mornings on public places in areas of England, Wales and Scotland (excluding public holidays and the period betwee ...

. MPs including

Dean Russell Dean Russell (born 8 May 1976) is a British politician and author who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford (UK Parliament constituency), Watford from the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 201 ...

, Suzanne Webb, Kim Leadbeater and John Nicolson backed the campaign and met with Zach on several occasions. On 5 December 2022, Zach's Law was officially included in the Government's

Online Safety Bill Online Safety Bill may refer to: * Online Safety Act 2023, 2023 United Kingdom legislation * Online Safety Act (Sri Lanka), 2024 Sri Lanka legislation * Kids Online Safety Act, 2023 United States legislation {{disambiguation ...

and became law in September 2023 when the Bill completed its passage through Parliament. The law will criminalise the deliberate sending of flashing images to a person with epilepsy with the intent of triggering a seizure, and offenders could face up to five years in jail.

References

External links

Epilepsy Society website

Entry on the Register of Charities
from the

Charity Commission The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government that regulates registered charities in England and Wales and maintains the Central Register of Charities. Its counterparts in Scotland and ...

for England and Wales.
Lost Hospitals of London, History of Chalfont St. Peter's epileptic colony
{{Authority control Charities based in Buckinghamshire Health charities in the United Kingdom Epilepsy organizations Organizations established in 1892