National Society for Epilepsy
Encyclopedia
The Epilepsy Society is the largest medical charity
in the field of epilepsy
in the United Kingdom
, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in Chalfont St Peter
, Buckinghamshire
, UK
, its stated mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy by promoting research, education and public awareness and by delivering specialist medical care and support services." The Epilepsy Society has close partnerships with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
(NHNN) and the UCL Institute of Neurology
, both located in Queen Square, London.
included the notable physicians John Hughlings Jackson
, Sir William Gowers
, and David Ferrier
. The aim was to establish an agricultural colony where people with epilepsy could live and work. A 370 acres (1.5 km²) farm was bought in Chalfont St Peter which at its peak in the 1950s, cared for over 550 people.
In the 1970s, an NHS
treatment unit was established at Chalfont.
In 1995 a 1.5 tesla
MRI
scanner was installed - the first dedicated to research in epilepsy
. This has now been superseded by a 3 tesla
instrument in 2004, which produces higher resolution images. The NSE's MRI Unit is at the forefront of medical imaging
research applied to epilepsy. In 2011 the charity changed its name to Epilepsy Society.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in the field of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in Chalfont St Peter
Chalfont St Peter
Chalfont St Peter is a village and civil parish in Chiltern district in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe and Rickmansworth. Chalfont St Peter is...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, its stated mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy by promoting research, education and public awareness and by delivering specialist medical care and support services." The Epilepsy Society has close partnerships with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery is a neurological hospital in London, United Kingdom and part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust...
(NHNN) and the UCL Institute of Neurology
UCL Institute of Neurology
The UCL Institute of Neurology is an institute within the Faculty of Brain Sciences of University College London and is located in London, United Kingdom...
, both located in Queen Square, London.
Services
Epilepsy Society is a leading epilepsy medical charity supporting all people affected by epilepsy. The services provided by the charity include:- Residential care for over 100 adults within care homes at the Chalfont Centre and also in supported living accommodation.
- Diagnosis, assessment and treatment at the Sir William Gowers Centre in Chalfont, Buckinghamshire.
- Research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Research focuses on brain imaging and genetics.
- Epilepsy information through a national helpline, regional services and awareness raising programmes.
- Online forum, facebook and twitter
- Campaigning on issues to help all people affected by epilepsy live as full a life as possible
- Epilepsy training to external organisations.
- Employment opportunities for people with epilepsy.
History
In 1892, a group of physicians from National Hospital for the Paralysed and the Epileptic, together with various philathropists, founded the National Society for the Employment of Epileptics. The first executive committee of the Societyincluded the notable physicians John Hughlings Jackson
John Hughlings Jackson
John Hughlings Jackson, FRS , was an English neurologist.- Biography :He was born at Providence Green, Green Hammerton, near Harrogate, Yorkshire, the youngest son of Samuel Jackson, a yeoman who owned and farmed his land, and the former Sarah Hughlings, the daughter of a Welsh revenue collector...
, Sir William Gowers
William Richard Gowers
Sir William Richard Gowers was a British neurologist.The Gowers' tract is named after him....
, and David Ferrier
David Ferrier
Sir David Ferrier, FRS was a pioneering Scottish neurologist and psychologist.-Life:Ferrier was born in Woodside, Aberdeen and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School before studying for an MA at Aberdeen University...
. The aim was to establish an agricultural colony where people with epilepsy could live and work. A 370 acres (1.5 km²) farm was bought in Chalfont St Peter which at its peak in the 1950s, cared for over 550 people.
In the 1970s, an NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
treatment unit was established at Chalfont.
In 1995 a 1.5 tesla
Tesla (unit)
The tesla is the SI derived unit of magnetic field B . One tesla is equal to one weber per square meter, and it was defined in 1960 in honour of the inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla...
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
scanner was installed - the first dedicated to research in epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
. This has now been superseded by a 3 tesla
Tesla (unit)
The tesla is the SI derived unit of magnetic field B . One tesla is equal to one weber per square meter, and it was defined in 1960 in honour of the inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla...
instrument in 2004, which produces higher resolution images. The NSE's MRI Unit is at the forefront of medical imaging
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
research applied to epilepsy. In 2011 the charity changed its name to Epilepsy Society.
External links
- Epilepsy Society website.
- Entry on the Register of Charities from the Charity CommissionCharity CommissionThe Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
for England and Wales.