Paediatric Neurosciences Unit

Epilepsy Service

The paediatric epilepsy service aims to provide a comprehensive package of care for children with epilepsy from the Greater and Glasgow and Clyde area as well as more specialist/tertiary level services for children from much of Scotland.

We run first seizure clinics for the evaluation of children with suspected epilepsy as well as providing long term follow up and care for children diagnosed with epilepsy. Most of the work within the department is out-patient based via face-to-face clinics, virtual clinics and telephone clinics, but we also have two dedicated video-EEG telemetry beds in the Children’s Hospital.

Within our department we utilise an array of investigative tools including EEG, neuropsychology, genetics and neuro-imaging including 1.5T and 3T MRI.

We have an active research team who have a long-established and internationally recognised expertise in the genetics of paediatric epilepsy and the department participates in national and international interventional trials. One of the largest ketogenic diet clinics in the UK is run by the epilepsy team in conjunction with the dietetics department.

We have an active role in the Scottish National Paediatric Epilepsy surgery programme (SPESS) and we have close links with the adult epilepsy team in the Institute for Neurological Sciences to facilitate transfer of patients when appropriate to adult services from the age of 16 onwards.

Outpatient referrals can be made into the neurology service by your GP or another healthcare professional looking after your child.

We are unable to accept direct referrals from patients and their families.

Our Team

Professor Sameer Zuberi, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Professor Andreas Brunklaus, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Stewart MacLeod, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Joseph Symonds, Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Iona Morgan, Locum Consultant Paediatrician with an Interest in Epilepsy
Sister Margaret Wilson, Epilepsy Nurse Consultant
Misty McDonald, Epilepsy Nurse Specialist
Liam Campbell, Epilepsy Nurse Specialist
Diane Carroll, Genetic Epilepsy Nurse
Janette Buttle, Senior Paediatric Ketogenic Dietitian

Contact details

Our epilepsy nursing team can be contacted Monday-Friday about acute and ongoing concerns about seizures, medication and any other issues related to epilepsy.

Our nurses are available Mon-Fri for advice.

0141 452 4703 (Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00)

0141 452 4923 – This is a voicemail service which is checked daily. Please leave a message including your child’s name, date of birth, a short message and your contact number.

epilepsynursesrhc@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Things we can help with

• Managing seizures
• Medication management and advice
• Personalised seizure management plans for use at home, in hospital, at school or in shared care
• Supporting families, schools and nurseries
• Referral for epilepsy bed alarms and other safety equipment
• Referral to other services when required
• Safety advice
• Any other concerns about epilepsy

For urgent advice or emergency care outwith these hours please contact NHS 24, local Emergency Department or dial 999.

Useful websites & phone numbers

Young epilepsy
www.youngepilepsy.org.uk
Tel: 01342 831342

Epilepsy Scotland
www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk
Tel: 0808 800 2200

Epilepsy Connections
www.epilepsyconnections.org.uk
Tel: 0141 248 4125

Epilepsy Action
www.epilepsy.org.uk
Tel: 0808 800 5050

DVLA Epilepsy and Driving link
www.gov.uk/epilepsy-and-driving

Medicines for Children
www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk

Paediatric Neurophysiology Department

Your child may have been referred to our clinical neurophysiology department for investigations such as a routine EEG (a test which monitors brain wave patterns over a 20-minute period), prolonged monitoring at home with Ambulatory EEG or Home Video Ambulatory. Your child may be coming into hospital for more detailed brain wave monitoring over a one-week period.
We also provide other investigations of the nervous system such as Evoked Potentials.

The Neurophysiology Department is located within Clinic 1 on the ground floor of the RHC outpatient area.

Before you and your child attend for an EEG, we recommend watching this video and reading our information sheets:

https://www.whatwhychildreninhospital.org.uk/eeg

Our Team

Gillian Horsburgh, Lead Physiologist
Angela Robertson, Highly Specialised Physiologist
Anne Peden, Highly Specialised Physiologist
Layla Al-Hilally, Locum Highly Specialised Physiologist
Nia McLauchlan, Highly Specialised Physiologist
Maureen Haffie – Assistant Physiologist

Contact details:

Telephone: 0141 452 4288
Email: paedseeg@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Patient & carer information sheets:

• Information about an EEG
• Information about a home video EEG
• Information about an ambulatory EEG
• Information about a video-telemetry EEG
• Information about a sleep deprived EEG
• Information about an MSLT

Our Team

Dr Iain Horrocks, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Shuko Joseph, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Sister Jennifer Dunne, Neuromuscular Nurse Specialist
Marina di Marco, Paediatric Physiotherapist
Sarah Brown, Paediatric Physiotherapist                                                                                               
Susanne McKenzie, Paediatric Physiotherapist
Rebecca Hart, Paediatric Physiotherapist
Rachel Mochrie, Paediatric Dietitian
Wilma Stewart, Neuromuscular Care Advisor
Tracy Langan, Clinical Trials Co-ordinator

Dr Horrocks leads the Paediatric Neuromuscular service at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. Together with Dr Joseph, they manage the over-all care of patients with neuromuscular conditions through-out the West of Scotland. They are also the principal investigators for several clinical research trials based at the Clinical Research facility in Glasgow.

Our neuromuscular specialist nurse, Jen Dunne, provides support and advice to patients and families, co-ordinates patient care (both inpatient and out-patients) and supports the ongoing research trials.

The physiotherapy team support neuromuscular patients both in the hospital and at home. They work in collaboration with the team to provide support, offer advice and maximise function. They help to maintain independence, manage pain and encourage participation in activities.

Rachel Mochrie is our specialist neuromuscular dietitian who provides nutritional advice and support to children and their families who are affected by a neuromuscular diagnosis.

As the teams care advisor, Wilma Stewart, provides practical and emotional support for families affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions. She provides holistic support to both children and young people into adulthood.

Tracy Langan co-ordinates, organises and supervises the paediatric neuromuscular clinical trials at the Royal Hospital for Children.

Contact Details

• Specialist Nurse – 0141 451 6473 / Jennifer.Dunne@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• Physiotherapists – 0141 354 9205 / 0141 451 6459
• Dietitian – 0141 451 6448 / Rachel.Mochrie@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• Care advisor – 07771701114 / Wilma.Stewart2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• Secretary – 0141 451 6536 / Agnes.Mooney@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• Clinical trial co-ordinator – 0141 451 6527 / Tracy.Langan@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Muscular Dystrophy UK Advocacy and Information Officer

• Jacqueline Munro provides advocacy advice and signpost children and their families who are affected by a neuromuscular diagnosis to helpful support and services.
  
  Tel: 07712523778 Helpline: 0800 652 6352 Email: j.munro@musculardystrophyuk.org

SMN website - https://www.smn.scot.nhs.uk/
MD UK website - https://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/

Other useful contacts

• Endocrine Consultant Dr Jarod Wong

Dr Wong is based at the Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow and looks after the bone health, growth and pubertal development of children with neuromuscular conditions.

Email: RHSC.endocrine@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

• Respiratory Consultant Dr Phil Davies

Dr Davies is based at the Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow and looks after the respiratory health of children with neuromuscular conditions.

Tel: 0141 451 6459

• Cardiology Team

The cardiology team is based at the Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow and look after the health of your heart.

Tel: 0141 452 4437

Contact details:

For any appointment or general enquiries please contact the secretarial team:

Agnes Mooney 0141 451 6536 (Mon-Fri 08:00-16:00)
Sarah-Jane Jenkins 0141 451 6568 (Mon-Fri 08:00-16:00)
Stacey Coyle 0141 451 6487 (Tues-Fri 09:30-14:30)

Complex motor disorders service:

The Paediatric Neurology Complex Motor Disorders (CMD) service provides assessment and management for children and young people with cerebral palsy and other movement disorders which cause abnormal muscle tone and physical disability. We work closely with families, therapists and other involved professionals to provide individualised and coordinated care for the children and young people seen in our service.

We offer diagnostic assessment, treatments for spasticity and dystonia such as medications and botulinum toxin treatment. We also contribute to patient selection for neurosurgical interventions for abnormal muscle tone including selective dorsal rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen pumps and deep brain stimulation.

Referral information:

We accept referrals from Paediatricians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Orthotists, Orthopaedic Surgeons, and other hospital specialists. Referrals can be made by letter or by using the Complex Motor Disorder service referral form. Referrals cannot be accepted directly from families.

Children and young people referred may be offered appointments in the Complex Motor Disorders clinic, Physiotherapy Botulinum Toxin assessment clinics, Joint CMD Upper Limb clinic, or when appropriate, the Joint Neuro-Orthopaedic clinic.

Our team:

Dr Valerie Orr, Consultant in Paediatric Neurodisability
Dr Sarah Abernethy, Consultant in Paediatric Neurology
Dr Katharine Forrest, Consultant in Paediatric Neurology
Jennifer Lunan, Highly Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist
Kirsty Sweeney, Highly Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist (Botulinum Toxin Service)
Lorna Sinclair, Advanced Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist (Botulinum Toxin Service)

Contact details:

Sarah-Jane Jenkins, Paediatric Neurology Secretary 0141 451 6568

Information for patients and carers:

Botulinum toxin treatment parent/carer information leaflet

Medicines for Children information www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk

• Baclofen
• Diazepam for muscle spasm
• Trihexyphenidyl
• Gabapentin
• Botulinum toxin for muscle spasticity

Useful weblinks for patients and carers:

Cerebral palsy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Dystonia UK

MSN Neurosurgery - Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy service

Headache is a common complaint among children and adolescents. It is estimated that at least 60% of children, under the age of 16 years, have experienced at least 3 episodes of headache. Migraine affects about 1 in 10 school children, and it is the is the most common reason for referral to this clinic. Children may also suffer from tension-type headache and other less common headache disorders.

Patients are usually referred to this clinic if there was an uncertainty about the diagnosis of the headache disorder, poor response to usual treatment or they need specialist investigations and/or treatment.

The headache clinic has been running for the past 25 years and it is one of the earliest and largest clinics in the UK. The clinic accepts referrals from general practitioners and also from hospital and community paediatricians in Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS and other neighbouring health board areas.

In addition to its service commitments, the staff of the clinic take part in clinical research into childhood headache and participate in clinical trials for which some eligible children can be enrolled for evaluation of new medications if appropriate.

Most patients are seen and assessed at the outpatient department and only occasionally an admission to hospital is needed. Currently due to Covid-19 restriction, the consultations take place over the phone, but some patients who may require clinical procedures or specific treatment can be seen in person at some dedicated sessions.

The clinic takes place every Thursday afternoon.

Our Team:

Dr Ishaq Abu-Arafeh, MBBS, DM, MRCP, FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatrician

Dr Stewart MacLeod, MBChB, FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist

Dr Maria Morozova, MBBS, PhD
Speciality Doctor in Paediatric Neurosciences

Contact details:

Agnes Mooney, Paediatric Neurology Secretary – 0141 451 6536

Information sheets for patients & carers:

Headache Diaries

Individual migraine management plan

Information on commonly used medication

• Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
• Sumatriptan
• Amitriptyline
• Topiramate
• Propranolol

Useful weblinks for patients and carers:

Migraine Trust:  https://www.migrainetrust.org

Cyclical Vomiting Association: http://www.cvsa.org.uk

Coming soon

The vCreate Neuro service has been designed to help you send videos of your child to our clinical team quickly and securely if they feel that a video of your child’s symptoms might help with diagnosing or managing your child’s care. You can send recorded videos from your phone or tablet at any time.

If you have a video that you feel might be helpful to your child’s clinical team, please contact your clinical team directly who can advise on registration.

To access your existing vCreate Neuro account please go to: www.vcreate.tv/unit/253

If you have not used the system for some time and have forgotten your password and/or passcode, please click on the reset links at the login page using the URL above. You will be sent an email with links to reset your details.

Registering for an account:

A member of your clinical team or administrator will contact you to request a video of your child and will register you for an account at that time.

Upon registration, you will be asked to provide consent and choose a username, password & passcode for the account. You will not be able to access the system until your service has activated your account and you will receive a notification when this is complete. 

If you have not received the link to register or if you have any issues with your account or uploading, please contact 0141 451 5879 or email Isla.Birnie@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Uploading a video:

Record your video as normal on the camera app of your mobile or tablet device. You do not need to log in to your vCreate account at the time of recording.

When you are ready to upload a video/photo:

1. Log in to your account at: www.vcreate.tv/unit/253
2. Select either “upload a clip” or “upload a photo”.
3. Answer some questions relating to your upload to help your clinical team, this should only take a couple of minutes.
4. Select “Step 1: Start” to go to the camera roll on your device and choose your video before completing your upload.

Information sheets for patient & carers:

An Introduction to vCreate

vCreate Clinical Video Service - Guide

vCreate FAQ's