Claire Nolan’s response to confirmation of a diagnosis of epilepsy was a little surprising, even to her.

The Irish Examiner published an article on the opening of the new CUH epilepsy unit (‘CUH epilepsy unit finally opens after two-year delay’, Friday January 16) but as an epileptic I was appalled by the indifference shown by the media to the opening of the new unit. 

After a delay of more than two years a €500,000 specialist unit for monitoring seizures in people with poorly controlled epilepsy is set to open in January.

A €500,000 specialist unit for monitoring seizures in people with poorly-controlled epilepsy has lain idle for a year while more than 100 patients in vital need of assessment remain on a waiting list.

One of the country’s foremost experts on epilepsy has warned he is unable to look after his patients properly, and will be forced to send them abroad for treatment unless two units needed to monitor seizures are opened.