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Liverpool City Council has expressed strong support for a newly launched, community-driven initiative aimed at enhancing reproductive health outcomes for women living with epilepsy. This project prioritizes incorporating the lived experiences of women with epilepsy to better shape future healthcare services and support systems tailored to their needs.
The initiative, titled *Seize Control: My Epilepsy, My Body, My Choice*, operates within Liverpool and is spearheaded by The Walton Centre along with Community Innovation Teams. It forms part of the broader ReCITE (Community-led Research for Health Equity) programme, working collaboratively with multiple city organisations, including Liverpool City Council. The focus of the project is to highlight and address the reproductive health inequalities faced by women with epilepsy, while empowering individuals to take active control over their health and wellbeing. The initiative engages women with lived experience, healthcare professionals, researchers, and community organisations to explore ways to make reproductive health information and support more accessible, relevant, and responsive to affected populations.
Managing epilepsy alongside reproductive health presents numerous complexities for many individuals, such as understanding treatment options, medication management, and making informed decisions about family planning. This project aims to promote patient autonomy by increasing awareness, boosting confidence, and creating opportunities that allow people living with epilepsy to participate actively in their own care decisions. It particularly addresses the specific challenges women with epilepsy encounter, including the effects of certain epilepsy medications during pregnancy. Furthermore, the programme adopts a holistic approach by factoring in mental health, community support, and overall quality of life, acknowledging that women with epilepsy tend to experience poorer health outcomes compared to those without the condition.
At its launch, the initiative emphasized the critical need for women with epilepsy to have access to comprehensive information, supportive services, and guidance to make well-informed choices about contraception, pregnancy, and reproductive health more broadly. The event underscored the importance of co-production, reliance on trusted community voices, and genuine public involvement as essential elements in designing health services that truly reflect people’s lived realities. Councillor Rahima Farah, Assistant Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture at Liverpool City Council, highlighted this point by stating, “Women have told us through Liverpool’s Women’s Health Report that they want to be listened to, and that their experiences should shape the services designed for them. Projects like this demonstrate the value of putting lived experience at the heart of decision-making and service improvement.” Emma Ciclitira, Senior Public Health Practitioner at the Council, reinforced this perspective by noting that effective solutions arise from collaboration with communities and that “trusted relationships are key to tackling health inequalities” through partnerships like ReCITE.
The *Seize Control* project marks the start of an ongoing effort to engage women with epilepsy across Liverpool and to use their insights to inform future efforts aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving reproductive healthcare access. The resources created through this work will be widely distributed across health and community environments throughout the Liverpool City Region, ensuring greater availability of reliable and accessible information. Future plans include setting up a Community of Practice to enhance cooperation among partners and stakeholders, as well as recruiting research champions to amplify community voices and further promote women’s involvement in research and service design.
For those seeking support, specialised neurology care is available through The Walton Centre, while organisations like The Brain Charity provide practical and emotional assistance. Advocacy and community support are also offered by the Mersey Region Epilepsy Association (MREA). Liverpool City Council remains dedicated to empowering its residents and advancing community-led solutions, working with partners such as ReCITE and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to foster initiatives that enable people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Anyone interested in participating in the project or learning more can reach out to Jayne Hoarty via email
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