Surgery can help control seizures in childhood epilepsy if treatment with medication has been unsuccessful. However, a proportion of children are turned down for surgery and families can wait a long time for the decision
We want to hear directly from children, their parents and siblings about their experiences and we will use different methods to approach this in a way that is sensitive to the children’s needs and the families’ circumstances. We will include 15-20 children with epilepsy, at least one parent/carer per child and one sibling (where appropriate) living in the same household (45-60 people). This research will be embedded within the Children’s Epilepsy Service based in Southampton Children’s Hospital. Our results will inform service provision and be made available in the short-term through leaflets for children and families, and professionals in health and education. The findings will also inform the development and application for funding for a larger, longer-term project.