- Reference Number: HEY1235/2025
- Departments: Emergency Department, Paediatrics
- Last Updated: 31 May 2025
Introduction
This leaflet aims to explain the local referral and follow-up process for a child who presents to the Emergency Department following a first seizure without fever.
In the Emergency Department
During your initial presentation to the Emergency Department your child will have had a thorough clinical examination. They will also have had a heart rhythm trace (ECG or electrocardiogram), a blood pressure and a blood glucose test performed.
A referral has been made for your child to be seen by the children’s neurology team in the First Seizure Clinic. All of the relevant information, examination findings and investigation results have been included in the referral.
The children’s neurology team is made up of paediatric epilepsy and neurology specialist nurses and consultants. They look after children with a wide range of conditions and symptoms and are very experienced in looking after children who have had seizures. This is why your child has been referred to their clinic for further assessment. Referral to this clinic does not mean your child has epilepsy.
Your doctor has also been informed of your attendance.
What next?
You will be contacted by one of the paediatric neurology specialist nurses within 48 hours of the referral being received (during Monday to Friday office hours). Your face to face clinic appointment with the consultant is likely to be within a few weeks of this phone call.
You should expect to have at least one face to face clinic appointment with the consultant.
Following assessment in clinic, some children will have further tests arranged, including a brain rhythm trace (electroencephalogram, EEG), a brain scan and or blood tests. Not all children will require these investigations.
What do I do if my child has another seizure?
Before you are discharged from the Emergency Department, you will have been given some verbal advice regarding seizure safety and also provided with an information leaflet titled “Following first seizure without fever” hey.nhs.uk/patient-leaflet/rcpch-following-a-first-seizure-without-fever-in-children-and-young-people/
If your child has another seizure, please follow the seizure safety advice. Once you have ensured your child is safe, if possible please video the seizure/episode so your doctors can see exactly what has happened.
If your child has a seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes, or multiple seizures in a day or if you are very worried and think your child needs emergency treatment, then call tel: 999.
If you do not think your child needs emergency treatment and you feel comfortable staying at home (i.e. single seizure lasting less than 5 minutes, no concerns about breathing and your child makes a complete recovery) then you do not have to attend the emergency department again, but please contact the specialist nurses to inform them about this further seizure/episode, via telephone during weekday office hours.
Specialist nurses’ office number tel: 01482 674151 – Monday to Friday office hours
If your child is already known to a paediatric consultant, you can also ring their consultant’s secretary.
Remember, your doctor or NHS 111 are also good ways to get advice over the telephone.
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats your child, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to your child. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your child’s condition, the alternatives available for your child, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about your child
We collect and use your child’s information to provide your child with care and treatment. As part of your child’s care, information about your child will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your child’s information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide your child with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your child’s doctor, or the person caring for your child.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about your child. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you need information about your child’s (or a child you care for) health and wellbeing and their care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.
