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Seizures/epilepsy

ADULT

Minimum Referral Criteria

  • Category 1
    (appointment within 30 calendar days)
    • New diagnosis of epilepsy (confirmed or highly likely)
    • First epileptic seizure (as convulsive syncope is a common mimic, may be seen by general medicine prior to neurology, depending on local pathways)
    • Frequent seizure activity with current anticonvulsants use
    • High seizure frequency without antiepileptic therapy
    • Pregnancy in a patient with known epilepsy
  • Category 2
    (appointment within 90 calendar days)
    • Poorly controlled epilepsy (e.g. increased frequency of seizures, change in seizure activity) in patient with good adherence to medical treatment. (This may be categorised as Cat 1 depending on severity)
    • Suspected non-epileptic attacks*

    *Suspected non-epileptic seizures should be triaged according to the social and medical impact of their epileptic-seizure counterparts rather than based on the (suspected) cause

  • Category 3
    (appointment within 365 calendar days)

    • Chronic epilepsy without any concerning features. Concerning features include:
      • focal deficit post-ictally
      • seizure associated with recent trauma
      • persistent severe headache > 1 hour post-ictally
      • seizure with fever
    • Epilepsy advice and management plan including driving recommendations and decreasing anti-epileptic medication


1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention
  • For advice and management
  • For specialist to take over management
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • ELFT FBC
  • History of seizures
  • Medication history, including non-prescription medications, herbs and supplements
  • Management history of epilepsy (including previous medication, dosage, efficacy, side effects)

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • EEG results
  • Neuroimaging results
  • Drug level results (if available)
  • Family history
  • Drug and alcohol history
  • Sleep studies (if available)
  • HIV syphilis (if available)

4. Request

Last updated: 13 June 2023