Keith Skivington

I am married with three grown up children and have been a member of Epilepsy Action since 1994.

My interest began when my eldest daughter had her first seizure in 1993.  We were very shocked and unprepared at the time because we did not know anything about epilepsy.  That’s when I came across Epilepsy Action and was very grateful for the information and support I received. As a result of this experience I set up the Llanelli branch of Epilepsy Action in 1994 to help others in the same position as me and my family. The branch has an active social calendar, organises advice and information days and raises the public profile of epilepsy in West Wales. I have been nominated for Branch Member of the Year on three occasions and our branch has been nominated for Branch of the Year twice.

I am an accredited volunteer for Epilepsy Action and I have supported the charity’s work in Wales by attending regional conferences, seminars, information days and training days. More recently I have been negotiating with the local health board to determine the need for an epilepsy specialist nurse post in Carmarthenshire.  If the business case is accepted, this will be the first post in the area. I have also been a member of the Community Health Council for the past six years and a member of the all Wales panel on epilepsy. 

I can offer the Council my personal experience of living with a close family member with epilepsy. I think it is important that a representative from Wales is on the Council. A new epilepsy services commissioning directive for Wales has just been published and the charity needs to keep up to date with developments and seek further improvements in services in Wales.