Epilepsy drugs row

Three-quarters of people with epilepsy suffer side-effects from their drugs but are not receiving new-generation "kinder" treatments because they are too expensive, a survey today claims, writes Celia Hall. The survey of 4,300 epilepsy patients says that most of them are still receiving drugs developed 20 years ago rather than alternatives made available over the past five years.

Terry O'Leary, chief executive of the British Epilepsy Association, said: "If this survey gets patients back to their doctors and specialists asking for their treatment to be reviewed it will have achieved its purpose."