Epilepsy Research Institute urges MPs contact

The Epilepsy Research Institute used a May 23 post on X to urge supporters to contact their members of parliament during National Epilepsy Week and ask them to back epilepsy research. The appeal directed people to the charity’s online tool for finding a local MP and sending a pre-written letter. The institute framed the push as part of its wider “One in 100” campaign, which seeks more parliamentary support for research, treatment and policy changes affecting people with epilepsy. National Epilepsy Week is running from May 18 to May 24, according to the institute’s website. ### What exactly was the institute asking supporters to do? The Epilepsy Research Institute said supporters could “write to your MP” in “two minutes” using its locator and template tool. On its National Epilepsy Week page, the charity said constituents should encourage their MP to become a “parliamentary epilepsy research champion.” (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) The institute’s dedicated campaign page says the effort is aimed at building a network of MPs who will advocate for epilepsy research in Parliament. The page says every message sent to an MP strengthens the charity’s call for change. ### What case is the charity making to MPs? The Epilepsy Research Institute says epilepsy affects one in 100 people in the UK and that 633,000 people in the country are living with the condition. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) The campaign page also says “three lives are lost every day, often suddenly and without warning,” and argues that research is needed because seizures remain uncontrolled for many patients and some causes are still unknown. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) The charity says MPs who join the campaign can help secure increased research funding, improved treatment options and better healthcare policies for people with epilepsy. That language appears both on the public campaign page and in the National Epilepsy Week appeal. ### What would MPs be asked to do if they join? The campaign page lists several actions for MPs. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) Those include using a digital badge on social media, tabling written and oral parliamentary questions on epilepsy research and funding, referring to the institute’s briefings in debates, and applying for debates focused on epilepsy care, research and treatment advances. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) The institute says those steps would help ensure that the voices of more than 630,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK are heard in Parliament. It presents the campaign as a way to link patient advocacy with research funding and public policy. ### How does this fit into National Epilepsy Week? National Epilepsy Week is one part of a broader awareness and fundraising drive by the institute. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) On the same campaign page, the charity also asks supporters to donate, take part in challenge events and share personal stories using the hashtags #EpilepsyVoices and #EpilepsyWeek. Laura, a parent featured on the institute’s National Epilepsy Week page, said her daughter Alex’s seizures and diagnosis in 2020 led her to get involved in epilepsy research through the Shape Network. Laura said research involvement gave her “hope for better treatments, earlier diagnosis and improved lives for families like mine.” (epilepsy-institute.org.uk) ### What happens next in the campaign? The Epilepsy Research Institute said supporters should use its online MP locator and template letter during National Epilepsy Week, which runs through May 24. The charity also said it held its annual supporters’ reception and Research Awards on May 21 and would share more on the projects it is funding on its social channels. (epilepsy-institute.org.uk)