Iain White and his colleagues describe the impact of an epilepsy clinic in their community

Numerous studies over the years have shown increased seizure rates in the learning disability population compared to those in the general population (Kerr et al 1996). The incidence of epilepsy in people with learning disabilities is also higher than in the general population (Hannah and Brodie 1998). In Scotland, the estimated prevalence of learning disability is 3–4 per cent of the population (Espie et al 1989), of whom around 20 per cent will have epilepsy, with prevalence rates of up to 50 per cent among people with severe or profound learning disabilities (Coulter 1993). Other studies indicate a prevalence rate of 30 per cent (Kerr et al 1996), whereas prevalence in the general population is around 0.6–0.7 per cent (Brown 1993).