ABSTRACT
The concept of the nurse specialist evolved in the UK during the 1970s, initially in chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma. The first epilepsy nurse specialist post was created in Doncaster in 1988, by the King Edward's Fund for Primary Care Development to provide a community liaison service for people with epilepsy. Initially funded for 18 months, the post had become permanent by 1992 and had expanded to include two epilepsy nurse specialists. In 1992, the Epilepsy Specialist Nurse Association (ESNA) was founded by a group of seven nurses working with people with epilepsy and specialising in paediatrics, learning disability and care of older people. They came together with a common aim and interest, to support each other and share ideas about how to improve care and education of people with epilepsy and increase awareness of epilepsy generally. ESNA continues to expand rapidly and its current membership is approaching 300.
