An epilepsy service pioneered in Bradford has shaped Government healthcare guidelines and is paving the way for improved services.

The service, run by Bradford District Care Trust, is the first in the country to use GP specialists to deal with epilepsy.

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological condition after migraine and is characterised by recurrent seizures. About eight people in every 1,000 suffer from epilepsy. This rises to one in two for people with learning disabilities.

Epilepsy nurse specialist Jon Sutcliffe said: "Not only do we have health professionals who have in-depth knowledge and experience of epilepsy but we are also unique in offering a community-based service.

"We visit people in a location and time convenient for them, which makes a huge difference. A quarter of the 668 people who use our service have learning disabilities, resulting in complex health needs and in some cases mobility problems. The fact that we can visit people in nursing homes, day centres or their own home really helps."

The pioneering service, made up of three epilepsy specialists, two specialist nurses and a neurologist, attracted national attention for achieving fantastic results.

The team was set up following a two-year audit into regional epilepsy services. The extensive review found long waits for people with epilepsy, a misdiagnosis rate of 15-20 per cent and incorrect medication being administered.

Neurologist Dr Nigel Hakin, part of the epilepsy team, said: "Epilepsy is one of the most difficult subjects in medicine as it is very difficult to diagnose and treat. There is no simple test that will prove or disprove a diagnosis of epilepsy. Despite much research on the subject, there is still much to learn about the condition."

By using specialists with time dedicated to treating epilepsy, waiting lists and misdiagnoses have been significantly reduced while service-user satisfaction has increased.

A review of the service was carried out by nurse Mark Coup as part of his BSc thesis. He selected 35 service users with learning disabilities at random and found a 50 per cent reduction in seizures after people had started using the service.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "We are very proud of the service we offer and are pleased to act as a blue-print for epilepsy services around the country. Changing the delivery of services in this way takes a great deal of commitment but we are confident that when other teams follow in our footsteps the results will be very positive."