Statewide referral criteria have been created for this condition and will be in use from 1st December 2026. Please see the Department of Health: Assessment of the management of epilepsy and seizures in children

Introduction

This guideline relates to epilepsy in paediatric outpatients. For information on acute seizure assessment and management, please see: Clinical Practice Guidelines:Seizures acute management

When to refer

• Patient not seizure free within two years of epilepsy diagnosis
  
• Patient not seizure free after a trial of two anti-seizure medications
  
• Epilepsy onset under 3 years of age
  
• Epilepsy with myoclonic seizures  under 4 years of age
  
• Developmental plateauing or regression and epilepsy
  
• Suspected developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (including, but not limited to, Infantile Spasms, Dravet Syndrome, Epilepsy with Myoclonic Atonic Seizures, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, etc.)
  
• EEG abnormalities that are not in keeping with the clinical presentation or are consistent with an encephalopathy
  
• Recognised conditions that place them at high risk of medically refractory epilepsy (e.g. structural lesion on MRI, or clinical diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis, Sturge Weber)

Wait time for appointments

Specialist Clinic wait times 

Services available closer to home

Alternative paediatric services available in Victoria:

• Monash Children’s Hospital

Referral criteria/required information

An epilepsy referral must include:

• Detailed seizure description (sequence of symptoms and signs), duration, frequency, date / age of onset and severity factors (e.g. loss of consciousness, loss of awareness, cyanosis, injuries, frequency of use of emergency services/medication)
• Details of current and past medications used to control epilepsy, if any
• Current developmental status if pre-school (age appropriate, some delay, significant delay, regression), academic/learning status (if school age, in mainstream/mainstream with support/special education)
• Neurological examination

How to refer

Specialist clinics referral

Please complete the above and submit via:

• Facsimilie (03) 9345 5034 or
• Email screferrals@rch.org.au
• Clinical queries call the Neurology department (03) 9345 5661

Suggested pre-referral management

EEG is not routinely performed unless there is a clinical diagnosis of an epileptic seizure or epilepsy, unless there is a suspicion of infantile spasms. If there is a suspicion of infantile spasms, the patient should be sent to the Emergency Department and not referred to an outpatient service.

Information for families

Consider providing education to families regarding pre-referral management

Resources and links

• Clinical Practice Guidelines:Seizures acute management
  
• Seizure (see Electroencephalography (EEG))
  
• Seizures (see Epilepsy)
  
• Seizures (see Midazolam for seizures)
  
• Seizures:safety issues and how to help
  
• Seizures after an Acquired Brain Injury (see Brain injury:Seizures after an Acquired Brain Injury)

Acknowledgements

The development of this guideline was coordinated by the Department of Neurology. Guideline reviewed in July 2026.