AN Oxfordshire health charity has won a prestigious award for its epilepsy safety tools.

Wantage-based SUDEP Action claimed Education Team of the Year at the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Awards 2019.

Judges commented that the ‘outstanding winner’ of the category were two free lifesaving epilepsy safety tools; the digital app EpSMon for people with epilepsy, and the clinician tool, the SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist.

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The charity is working on bringing the livesaving solutions, which it says transforms epilepsy patient safety, to wider Oxfordshire and across the UK.

Sammy Ashby, SUDEP Action Deputy CEO and manager ofthe projects, said: “We’re delighted that these projects have been recognised by this award; many people with epilepsy and their clinicians are not well supported to reduce their risks, yet these simple conversations and checks have the potential to save many lives each year.

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"21 people die every week in the UK – every one of those is worth fighting for. By reaching even more people with these solutions, we hope that future lives can be saved, in memory of those who have died.”

In Oxfordshire alone, there are nearly 6,600 people with epilepsy and around 12 epilepsy deaths a year, the charity says.

Research from the charity suggests that nearly half of epilepsy deaths are potentially preventable, with better knowledge and management of possible risks.