If you would like to talk to someone about epilepsy, our trained advisers are here to help.
The Epilepsy Action helpline
Our award winning UK helpline offers free, confidential advice to anyone affected by epilepsy. If you would like to talk to someone about epilepsy, our trained advisers are here to help.
Help for you
The helpline is closed over the Christmas break and will reopen on Thursday 2nd January 2025
If you need advice on the bank holiday these are areas people have asked us about recently:
- Issues getting medication and urgent medical advice – contact your pharmacy if they’re open or call 111.
- Wellbeing info and support – Samaritans, Anxiety UK or CALM might be helpful.
- Questions about driving – take a look at our driving information.
- Concerns about getting the right treatment – take a look at our treatment information
- First aid/safety advice
Helpline opening hours
The helpline is open:
- Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 5pm
- Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Need crisis support?
We are NOT a crisis service. If you need help due to a mental health crisis you should contact a specialist service such as:
- Samaritans – visit their website, or call 116 123
- Shout– visit their website or text SHOUT to 85258
- Mind – visit their website for a useful list of crisis support and listening services.
Our advisers are not medically or legally trained but we can let you know where to get more support.
How we can help you
- Give you information about epilepsy and living with the condition
- Provide advice around things that might help your situation
- Help you to explore your options and identify next steps
- Signpost you to other sources of support
Who can use the helpline
Our helpline is here for anyone affected by epilepsy, including:
- People living with epilepsy
- Carers
- Family and friends of people with epilepsy
- Professionals, including those working in health, social care and education
What to expect when you contact the helpline
Phone
It’s free to call the helpline from UK mobiles and landlines. Our advisors will listen to you and treat you with respect. We expect the same of you when you use the service. If the lines are busy we’re busy, try again or get in touch via live chat or email.
Live chat support
You can start a chat with a trained advisor by clicking on the pink button on the bottom right of your screen on this page. This button will only appear during our opening hours and when an advisor is available.
We aim to respond to live chats within two minutes. We’ll send you a copy of the chat, including any useful links and resources to the email address you provide.
You can send us your question via our webform or by emailing: helpline@epilepsy.org.uk. We aim to reply within two working days.
What our service users say about us
“Clear, friendly and straightforward advice. I ended the call feeling far more optimistic than I have for days.”
“You listened to what I was saying and reassured me so I knew what action I need to take without being so scared and you told me what care I should be receiving. Thank you – lots”
“Wow what a service. It’s all new territory for us with our daughter having just been diagnosed and I can’t thank you enough for a fast, user friendly, knowledgeable service that provides the information and support needed.”
Feedback and complaints
Your feedback helps us to understand what we’re doing well and how we can improve.
Complete our short feedback form
We try to get things right, but if we don’t, please let us know by following our complaints procedure.
More about our helpline
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Confidentiality
The service is confidential. We will only share what you tell us if we are concerned that you or someone else is in danger and/ or at risk of harm. If we think this is needed, we will explain this to you. Wherever possible, we will involve you in this process and ask for your consent to contact support services. See our Safeguarding policy.
When you contact us, we’ll ask to take your details to keep a record of your enquiry and any advice we have given to you. This helps us:
- if you contact us again- we’ll know what you told us before, and what we discussed which means we can provide you with a good service
- to improve our services through quality monitoring and ensuring we are reaching everyone affected by epilepsy
- if we need to contact support services for you
All calls are recorded for training purposes.
If we arrange to call you back, our helpline number will be withheld. If you have chosen to block anonymous or withheld calls to your phone, you will need to tell us to call you back without withholding our number.
For more information about how we collect and use personal data, please see our privacy policy.
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Accessibility
Support in other languages
We can offer advice and information in different languages using a telephone interpreting service.
To use an interpreter:
- Call the Epilepsy Action helpline on 0808 800 5050.
- Tell the helpline adviser which language you need
We will take your name, phone number and the language you need. We will end the call with you and contact our interpreting service. It should only take a few minutes for us to set things up and call you back.
Text relay
Our helpline staff can take calls via text relay.
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Quality
Epilepsy Action is a member of the Helpline’s Partnership, and our helpline is a certified Helplines Standard service. The Helplines Standard is a quality mark recognised across the UK, which certifies best practice in helpline work.
Epilepsy Action is the only UK epilepsy charity to have achieved the PIF tick quality mark for it’s health information resources. This helps us give you accurate, up-to-date information you can trust.
In 2023 the Helpline Team won ‘Helpline of the Year’ at the Helpline Awards. To find out more, visit our news article about the awards.
More support from Epilepsy Action
Here to support you
Send us your question
Send a question to our trained epilepsy advisers. (We aim to reply within two working days).