About the Paediatric epilepsy service
Epilepsy is defined as a tendency to have recurrent seizures and is the most common serious neurological disorder, one in every 220 children under 18 will have a diagnosis of epilepsy (Epilepsy Action, 2024).
The overall goal of managing epilepsy is to enable the child / young person and their family to lead a normal life as free as possible from seizures and to ensure they are not excluded from any social settings/education/activities.
This is achieved through access to specialist paediatric epilepsy services which have effective links to schools, primary care and other services accessed by the child/young person and family.
At present there are 330 children and young people with epilepsy under the care of the Children’s Epilepsy specialist service in Northampton.
Paediatric Consultant with interest in Epilepsy: Dr. Bolutito Akinbiyi
Paediatric Consultant with interest in Epilepsy: Dr. Rajkumar Punathil Rajagopalachari
Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialist: Rebecca (Beki) Currington
Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse: Kerry O’Leary
The role of the Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialist is to provide specialist care and management for children and young people with epilepsy. The aim is to reduce emergency paediatric epilepsy admissions, improve knowledge, self-care and quality of life for children and young people with epilepsy and to support continuity of care between settings.
Referrals to the Epilepsy Service
Children and young people from 0-18 years of age (or up to 19 if still receiving paediatric care) with a diagnosis of epilepsy, can be referred to the epilepsy service where they are under the care of a Northampton General hospital or community consultant paediatrician within Northamptonshire, up to the point of transition into adult services.
Babies and young children with recurrent and prolonged febrile convulsions may also be referred to the service.
Contact details
Telephone: 01604 523817
The service is available Monday – Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) from 8.30am to 4.30pm. There is a 24 hour voicemail facility in place outside these hours.