Recommendations made in a new report reviewing neuroscience services in Wales are being welcomed by national charity Epilepsy Action.
The independent report, commissioned by the Assembly Government and carried out by consultant neurosurgeon Mr James Steers, highlights the need for patients in North Wales to continue receiving vital neurosurgery services close to home.
The recommendations follow an initial review, and proposals of how neuroscience services were delivered in Wales. One of the proposals was that patients in North Wales would be forced to travel the much further distance to receive treatment in South Wales, as opposed to being allowed continued access to the much closer services in England. This proposal has now been reversed.
Simon Wigglesworth, Epilepsy Action's deputy chief executive, said: "The fact that people with epilepsy based in North Wales can continue to receive treatment at the Walton Centre in Liverpool will be a massive relief to those in the region.
"Given that people with uncontrolled epilepsy are unable to drive, it would have been ludicrous to expect them to travel that much further for treatment. Epilepsy Action looks forward to these recommendations being implemented, and the continued provision of vital support to people living with the condition in Wales."
Epilepsy Action is a registered charity that helps over 731,000 people every year through its advice and information services. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which affects people of all ages and walks of life. One in every 131 people in the UK has epilepsy.