Children with epilepsy are being put at risk because there are not enough specialist staff to care for them, a charity has warned.

The Brighton and Hove branch of Epilepsy Action has launched a campaign to get a dedicated paediatric consultant and a specialist epilepsy nurse appointed for the city.

At the moment there is one consultant with an interest in epilepsy based at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton but nobody else.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says children should wait no longer than two weeks to see a specialist if they are believed to have epilepsy but they are currently having to wait five to eight weeks to be seen.

Branch treasurer Madeline Peasgood said: “The services that are available are really good but they need to be expanded to cope with demand.

“They are not meeting specialist guidelines and it means children are not getting seen soon enough.

“They also need to be closely monitored, especially if they have recently been diagnosed, as it is an unpredictable condition.

“There is a lot of demand for these services. It is not just about the children and treatment, it is about the need for support and help for parents.

“We are urging people to lobby their MPs and contact the NHS to help get the service improved.

“I know GPs have already been writing in and so have local children’s groups.

“The more people who make their views known, the more chances we get of seeing things expanded.

“The last thing we want is for children to have to wait for treatment or help simply because there are not enough staff around to help them.

“Facilities for adults have got so much better recently but there is still a way to go for paediatrics and that is what we are trying to address.”

There are around 350 children in the city believed to have epilepsy.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust, which is responsible for commissioning health services, said: "We are in the process of reviewing the local services for epilepsy,both adult and children services.

“As part of the review we are seeking the views of clinicians, patients and Epilepsy Action.

“The feedback from these sessions will be incorporated into a summary report with recommendations which will be available in September or October.”