The Epilepsy Specialist Nurses Association (ESNA) has published a major revision of its Best Practice Guidelines for Professional Carers in Emergency Seizure Medication following the most collaborative review in the document’s history.

Over six months, more than 40 contributors from over 30 organisations across the UK and Ireland helped shape the updated guidance. Contributors included epilepsy specialist nurses, pharmacists, educationalists, governance specialists, care providers, charities, training organisations and researchers.

The review was led by Caryn Jory, Deborah Coker, Sally-Ann Remnant and Fiona Short and used a structured consensus process involving expert meetings, consultation exercises, Delphi-style questions and stakeholder feedback.

The revised guidance reflects developments in evidence, learning from national reviews and the increasing complexity of epilepsy care in community settings. Key updates include enhanced standards for training and competency assessment, clearer expectations for trainer qualifications and governance, and defined standards for virtual and blended learning.

Caryn Jory, Vice Chair of ESNA and Lead Author, said:

“This review brought together a wider range of voices than ever before. By combining clinical expertise, educational knowledge, governance experience and practical care perspectives, we have developed guidance that is both evidence-informed and grounded in real-world practice.”

The review was supported by Professor Rohit Shankar MBE FRCPsych, Professor in Neuropsychiatry at the University of Plymouth, who described the collaboration as an important step towards safer and more consistent epilepsy care.

The updated guidelines aim to support healthcare professionals, social care providers and training organisations in delivering safe, high-quality emergency seizure medication practice across community settings.

One Guideline. National Collaboration. One Shared Goal: Safer Epilepsy Care.