Abstracts

Rationale: Describing the burden of disease is essential when designing health services. The prevalence of epilepsy is currently thought to be 490,000 (children and adults in the UK) but the Joint Epilepsy Council believes that 590,000 people carry the diagnosis. It is not known whether there are important inequalities in the prevalence of epilepsy in the UK; nor whether specialist centres are in the areas of greatest need.Methods: The quality and outcomes framework (QOF) is an annual reward and incentive programme for all GP (general practice) surgeries.. detailing practice achievement results. It is not about performance management but resourcing and then rewarding good practice. Since the inception of QOF in 2004 there has been a requirement that GPs create a register of all their adult patients (over 18) with a diagnosis with epilepsy who are currently on one or more anti-epileptic drugs. Data are available per GP practice and for almost every GP practice. We have collated the number of people with epilepsy per region and per county in the UK.Results: There are 408,775 adults with epilepsy in the UK (Scotland 39,695 (0.73%); Wales 22,885 (0.73%); England 332,001 (0.61%); Northern Ireland 14,194 (0.76%)). Prevalence was lowest in Chelsea & Kensington (affluent London - 0.34%) and highest in impoverished former mining communities in Wales: Rhondda Cynon Taff and Neath Port Talbot regions (0.84%). We present maps of both crude prevalence and after the data were standardised for deprivation. Conclusions: This is the first community survey of adult epilepsy prevalence in the UK to use this method. Annual sampling confirms the reliability of these data and the stability of epilepsy prevalence over the last six years in the UK. Our map demonstrates the variability in epilepsy prevalence; it is apparently higher in urban areas, areas of social deprivation and areas without a specialist service. We acknowledge that identifying and removing inequalities in service provision and health outcome is an essential part of ensuring all those who are diagnosed with epilepsy receive the best care possible.