Epilepsy Action Radio Day

This year’s National Epilepsy Week was a busy one for Epilepsy Action. The theme this year was ‘information’. We wanted to make sure that people affected by epilepsy have everything they need to make informed decisions about health, social care, benefits and so on. In addition to the All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting and our education awards, the Edwards, we held our very first Epilepsy Action Radio Day.

For 12 hours, from 8am until 8pm, we broadcast live across the airwaves, delivering a schedule of programmes all about epilepsy. If you missed it – don’t worry! You can download all of the programmes and listen again.

The following programmes may be of particular interest to our campaigns supporters:

• In Your Rights, we took a look at what people with epilepsy have a right to access when it comes to employment, benefits and community care.
• In The doctor will see you now, we took a trip around the UK speaking to health professionals. We talked to them about how health services for epilepsy vary across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We asked them for their thoughts on how epilepsy care in the UK compares to the rest of the world. And finally, we got their views on how the proposed changes to the NHS could affect services.
• We had a special programme all about the impact of epilepsy on education – Epilepsy and Education. This included advice on what parents can do to access the support their child needs.
• In Clarrie’s Story we took a look at the social history of epilepsy over the last 100 years through the eyes of a fictional character, Clara Walker. It looked at the important legislative and social changes that have improved circumstances for people with epilepsy over the years and shaped public attitudes.
• In Driving epilepsy up the agenda we talked to a panel of experts, including Laura Sandys MP, who has epilepsy. This programme helped us take stock of the current political profile of epilepsy and how we can improve it.

There were many other programmes besides – check them out,

We would like to do future radio programmes or podcasts. Tell us what issues you would like us to cover by emailing radio@epilepsy.org.uk or writing to the campaigns team at the head office address.