NATIONAL EPILEPSY WEEK AND NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR EPILEPSY

Early day motion 1550, tabled 23 May 2007 by Dame Cheryl Gillan (Conservative). Signed by 65 members.

That this House recognises National Epilepsy Week; congratulates the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) on the progress it has made in establishing links between epilepsy and genetic make up; further recognises that this is helping healthcare to move into the 21st century and to improve the lives of the 456,000 people with epilepsy in the United Kingdom; notes that genetic profiling developed by the NSE will revolutionise diagnosis and will assist in understanding the cause of epilepsy and in choosing which anti-epileptic medication to prescribe and at what dose; further notes that this will help to save some of the vast sums, estimated at over £225 million, that are wasted as a result of trial and error applications as well as providing patients with more effective treatments; and supports the NSE in its efforts to raise the £5 million needed to develop a dedicated genetics research facility at its Chalfont Centre to take forward this vital research.

Signatures by party: Labour 24, Conservative 21, Liberal Democrat 12, DUP 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1.