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epilepsy policy
Does anybody have any guidelines for workers known to suffer epilepsy?
A new worker claims to have had an agreement with a previous employer that an ambulance wouldn't be called when she had a seizure and wants a similar agreement from us. Her condition is not fully controlled by medication and she has seizures fairly regularly (weekly?). The British Epilepsy Association say that an ambulance shouldn't be called but that if the fit lasts longer than 5 minutes then it then becomes a serious incident and professionals should be called in. Knowing that it is very likely to happen, my concerns are that if we wait five minutes time has been wasted, if an ambulance is called but the person refuses to go in it the ambulance service wouldn't be happy and other staff would be called to care for the person having the seizure and would have to decide when it was time to call an ambulance, possibly before a trained first aider could get there.
Does anybody have any advice?
Thanks for any help.
Deniz
I would follow Red Cross/ St. John's guidance and call an ambulance if:
1. The casualty has been unconscious for more than 10 minutes;
2. The seizure continues for more than 5 minutes;
3. The casualty is having repeated seizures or their first seizure;
4. The casualty is not aware of any reason for the seizure; or
5. Injury sustained during the seizure necessitates further medical attention.
- unless you have prior written authorisation from the casualty's doctor to act in any other way.
