Epilepsy: secondary care data

Data on inpatient and daycase discharges are available from the Scottish Morbidity Record SMR01 database. Chart 1 shows the incidence rates (per 100,000 population) of epilepsy between 2008/09 and 2023/24. Incidence is defined here as the first hospital admission with epilepsy or death from epilepsy without a previous admission within the preceding 10 years. This is an imperfect measure as not everyone with epilepsy is admitted to hospital. 

Chart 1 shows that since 2008/09, males have consistently had higher incidence rates (per 100,000) of epilepsy than females. Male incidence rates increased to 31.4 per 100,000 in 2023/23 after declining between 2018/19 and 2022/23. In contrast, in females, incidence has stabilised with 22.5 admissions per 100,000 people reported in 2023/24. 

In males and females under 15 years old, epilepsy incidence rates have been increasing since 2020/21. In 2023/24 there was a sharp increase to 44.7 admissions per 100,000 in males under 15 years, compared to 30.1 admissions per 100,000 in females. 

For the 15-54 age group, incidence rates for females have stabilised since 2020/21 at about 18 admissions per 100,000 whilst rates for males increased to 25.7 admissions per 100,000 in 2023/24 after a steep decrease between 2018/19 and 2022/23.

Incidence rates for those over 55 have stabilised for both males and females which in 2023/24 are now 32.5 and 25.6 respectively.