Epilepsy, 19 Sep 2013 – 19 Jun 2026

Epilepsy-related Prevention of Future Deaths reports

Last 3 years7 Sep 2023 – 7 Sep 2026

Custom range

Based on PFD publication date. Dates are available up to the published snapshot: 7 Sep 2026. Preset periods end on this date.

28All reports 8SUDEP 20Non-SUDEP

Select SUDEP or Non-SUDEP to filter concerns and reports. Counts are PFD reports, not deaths.

About this dataset

We searched all 6,433 reports in the published corpus using a fixed text-search method, then assessed 317 candidates against source-based inclusion criteria. Ninety reports were included. Epilepsy had to be materially relevant to the death or a substantive coroner’s concern; incidental mentions were excluded.

Eligibility and SUDEP assignment were assessed with GPT-5.6 Sol and checked for valid source quotations. Assignment uses a balance-of-probabilities threshold: SUDEP or non-SUDEP must be more likely than not on the report’s evidence. The exact term SUDEP need not appear. Genuinely unclear eligible reports remain in All only. These are model-assisted documentary assessments, not independently validated clinical diagnoses.

The search can miss reports with sparse terminology or incomplete source text. This dataset does not represent all epilepsy deaths. Recurring concerns and responses are taken from the existing published evidence. Published corpus snapshot: 7 September 2026. Cohort selection updated 5 November 2026. The title shows the first and last included reports’ publication dates.

Reports over time

Matching reports published each year within the selected date range.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Matching reports sent to each recipient.

HM Prison and Probation Service2
Practice Plus Group2
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust1
Thameside Prison1

Most commonly raised concerns

All classifications 28 reports 7 Sep 2023 – 7 Sep 2026

  1. Unreliable seizure care and managementControls dedicated to recognising, assessing, monitoring, responding to and managing seizures are not reliably provided.3 reportsSelected
  2. Failure to provide required medication promptly when clinically neededThe anchor identifies delayed prescribing of a patient's usual medication after an unexpected admission, while another report identifies delayed prescribing and non-provision of urgent therapeutic medication. These support a recurring concern about timely provision of clinically required medication rather than only the anchor's admission or prescribing-step failure.2 reportsSelected
  3. Failure to reliably learn from medication incidents and implement safeguardsThe medication incident learning process is unreliable: incidents are not consistently followed up or reviewed to identify, communicate and implement safeguards that protect patients from recurrence.2 reportsSelected
  4. Failure to secure and control medicationReports identify medication as remaining accessible, unsecured or inadequately controlled, creating risks of misuse, overdose, theft or access by people other than the intended patient.2 reportsSelected
  5. Inadequate control of illicit substance use and supply in secure institutionsThe anchor identifies an ongoing failure to mitigate illicit substance entry, distribution and use in a secure hospital, while assertions from different reports identify continuing illicit-drug influx, widespread access and weak supply-reduction controls in prisons. These distinct manifestations support a bounded concern about controlling illicit substances in secure institutional settings, rather than only room searches, drug testing or a prison-specific strategy.2 reportsSelected
  6. Inadequate controls on contraband mobile phones in prisonsDifferent reports identify failures in the prison control system for preventing and mitigating access to contraband mobile phones, including their easy availability to prisoners and their use to facilitate drug dealing and other prison-security risks.2 reportsSelected
  7. Inadequate driver licensing controls for road safetyDriver licensing systems do not reliably identify, record, review or restrict drivers whose inexperience, health or vehicle-related risk requires additional safeguards.2 reportsSelected
  8. Incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable clinical and care recordsClinical and care records are incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, unavailable or otherwise unreliable for safe care.2 reportsSelected
  9. Unreliable DVLA medical fitness notification arrangementsThe anchor identifies limited professional awareness and uncertain effectiveness of guidance for notifying the DVLA about medically relevant driving risks. A different report identifies clinicians failing to advise patients with cough syncope to stop driving and notify the DVLA, while another identifies failure to notify the DVLA of relevant medical conditions. These support the named DVLA medical-fitness notification process rather than guidance awareness alone.2 reportsSelected
  10. Unreliable communication of critical medication information to GPsRecurring deficiency in the medication-information exchange process between services and GPs, including information needed to maintain supplies, assess prescribing safety and support continuity of treatment.2 reportsSelected
  11. Unreliable hospital discharge processesHospital discharge does not reliably bring together planning, clinical readiness, relevant organisations, safe execution and required follow-up.2 reportsSelected
  12. Unreliable implementation of medication changesReports identify different failures in the medication-change process, including failure to act on a prescribed reduction, failure to ensure carers acknowledge changes, and difficulty implementing specialist-directed changes accurately. Together these support the wider unsafe condition that medication changes are not reliably implemented across prescribing, communication and follow-up controls.2 reportsSelected
  13. Unreliable inter-agency information sharing for coordinated careThe anchor identifies absent agreed communication means and inaccessible shared patient information between mental health agencies. Other canonical reports identify relevant risk information not being shared between agencies and poor inter-agency information sharing preventing coordinated care, supporting a recurring concern with the reliability of inter-agency care information sharing rather than only the anchor's repository or communication-channel failure.2 reportsSelected
  14. Unreliable patient observation arrangementsPatient observation systems do not reliably set, support and deliver the observation level required by assessed safety risk.2 reportsSelected
  15. Unreliable review and action on clinically significant incoming correspondenceReports identify failures across the incoming clinical-correspondence process, including failure to identify GP medication-review requests, failure to bring action-requiring correspondence to medical staff, and correspondence being filed without GP review or action. The shared unsafe condition is that clinically significant correspondence may not reliably reach the responsible clinician or trigger the required clinical response.2 reportsSelected
  16. Unsafe interoperability between prison custody and healthcare proceduresReports identify failures in the bounded interface between prison custody, contracted custody providers and healthcare services, where procedures, responsibilities and safety-relevant information do not operate together reliably.2 reportsSelected
  17. Unsafe medication administrationA recurring failure of the medication-administration system to ensure that medicines are administered safely, accurately, promptly and as prescribed.2 reportsSelected

Reports matching this recurring concern

7 Sep 2023 – 7 Sep 2026 · 2 reports

Classification: all classificationsRecurring concern: Unsafe interoperability between prison custody and healthcare procedures
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Only concerns related to the selected recurring concern and their linked actions and positions are shown. Other concerns are counted within each report.

Actions and positions describe what recipients stated in published responses. Select a statement to read its source wording.

  1. Inner South London

    AI-generated summary

    Mark Robert Smith · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Mark Robert Smith, who was detained at HMP Thameside, died after an epileptic seizure led to cardiac arrest. The report describes concerns about medication prescribing and administration, hospital-to-prison discharge and communication, access to his cell, observation arrangements and records, staffing, and the lack of equipment for resuscitation.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to maintain QEH staff awareness of the limits of prison healthcare

    Wider context from the report

    “(2) I remain concerned a similar situation could arise as did in Mark’s case regarding a discharge back to prison from QEH without an MDT meeting despite repeated requests from prison healthcare and there could be a risk to life. I note PFD evidence provided regarding improved liaison between QEH and the prison GP but note no reference to liaison between QEH and the head of the healthcare in prison, who visited QEH twice in Mark’s case. Further, as recently as 2025 an incident occurred when there was a lack of understanding at QEH around the limited provision in healthcare in prison. I am concerned as to how awareness of the limits of prison healthcare will be disseminated on a continuing basis to new and locum staff at QEH. (QEH and Practice Plus Group) ”

    Source location

    Mark Robert Smith · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 4 · concerns

    Open source report
  2. East Sussex

    AI-generated summary

    Trevor Alan MONERVILLE · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Trevor Alan Monerville, who had been detained at HMP Lewes, was found unresponsive in his cell on 18 April 2021 and died after suffering from epilepsy and non-epileptic attack disorder. The principal concerns were inadequate monitoring and management of his epilepsy after the ACCT closed, poor communication and information-sharing between healthcare, prison staff and family, and insufficient staff training in managing epilepsy and seizures.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Inadequate communication about prisoners’ health conditions

    Wider context from the report

    “b. Communication between healthcare and prison staff especially when Trevor was returned to the wing, between the prison staff and family, briefing by prison managers to officers on the wing about Trevor’s condition were all inadequate. Evidence was heard about the lack of integration of various IT systems which contributed to poor communication. In spite of the evidence from PPG regarding the sensitivity of medical records which should not be disclosed to the prison staff, I remain concerned that there was no effective monitoring and management of Trevor on the wing once the ACCT was closed. There was no mechanism in place for prison and healthcare staff to report their concerns about Trevor’s non compliance with taking his medication to Security, thus preventing the cell from being searched for retained medication. ”

    Source location

    Trevor Alan MONERVILLE · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Work with NHS England to clarify routine health-information sharing and processes for risk or safeguarding concerns.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “HMPPS recognises that, information sharing is vital to effective health management of people in prison and is working closely with NHSE to increase staff confidence and support effective information sharing by offering clarity about the general and routine sharing of health information and where risk/safeguarding concerns have been raised.”

    Source location

    Response from HM Prison and Probation Service
    Page 2 · response
    Published 19 January 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement Regional Multi Professional Complex Case Clinic escalation for the most complex patients.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Practice Plus Group operates an integrated healthcare model. Any patients pending transfer back to the main wing with ongoing needs are to be discussed at the Multi Professional Complex Case Clinic (MPCCC) prior to transfer. This allows oversight of all departments within the integrated team and a holistic complex care plan to be created. The MPCCC is led by the GP, attended by all clinical leads, and any relevant staff involved in patient care. For individual cases prison partners may be invited to attend and a care plan created with a named coordinator allocated. Practice Plus Group has now implemented a further point of escalation to Regional MPCCC. For the most complex of patients, attendees will include healthcare, prison staff and, on occasion, representatives from NHS England.”

    Source location

    Response from Practice Plus Group
    Page 4 · response
    Published 19 January 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Practice Plus Group cannot resolve integration of healthcare and prison IT systems because SystmOne is commissioned by NHS England and medical records are confidential.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “As to lack of integration of various systems, this is not an issue that Practice Plus Group can resolve. SystmOne is commissioned by NHS England and Practice Plus Group is commissioned to use SystmOne. As with patients in the community, medical records are highly sensitive and personal to the individual. They are not shared with prison staff for reasons of medical confidentiality.”

    Source location

    Response from Practice Plus Group
    Page 4 · response
    Published 19 January 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Existing information-sharing protocols and weekly meetings are considered appropriate for communication and management of complex safety concerns.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “There are Information Sharing protocols in place, as directed by national policy, which underpin the exchange of information between healthcare and prison staff. There are several regular meetings involving healthcare and prison staff where individual issues are raised and addressed, including the Safety Intervention Meeting and Multi-Disciplinary Complex Case Clinic, both of which are held weekly.”

    Source location

    Response from HM Prison and Probation Service
    Page 1 · response
    Published 19 January 2024

    Open published response

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Classification: all classifications7 Sep 2023 – 7 Sep 2026 (Publication date)Recurring concern: Unsafe interoperability between prison custody and healthcare procedures
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