The ‘Epilepsy passport’ has been launched today by child health experts, in a bid to improve communication and care management.
The passport is to be carried by a child with epilepsy to provide accessible, up-to-date information for health professionals in the case of an emergency.
It was developed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to provide information on: the type of seizures and epilepsy the child has; the medications they are receiving; what their ‘rescue medication’ is and which medications should be avoided; the clinicians leading their care and the child’s emergency care plan.
Fiona Smith, professional lead for children and young people’s nursing at the Royal College of nursing (RCN), described the passport as “an exciting step forward in children’s care” that could make a “huge difference” for young patients and their families.
She said: “The new ‘Epilepsy Passport’ is a simple yet innovative solution to a very common problem. Children with epilepsy often require impromptu care and this passport allows them to seek help from any member of the healthcare team with ease and efficiency.
“There are 60,000 children suffering from epilepsy in the UK, which means there are 60,000 worried families trying to help their child deal with this difficult condition – not to mention those suffering from other illnesses that could benefit from this kind of solution,” she added.
