CAMPAIGNERS last night renewed calls for better treatment for epilepsy sufferers after a new report highlighted a shortfall in medical experts in the region.

A survey by the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) said Yorkshire - along with the Midlands, the South-West and Scotland - were the worst-affected areas.

It also found that one in seven hospitals across Britain do not have visiting clinics by specialists, and that children in particular were being misdiagnosed.

Margaret Thomas, of the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE), said: "It is not just in paediatrics, it is across the board. There are not enough neurologists, whether for children or adults.

"That's been highlighted in a number of major reports to Government over a number of years. We welcome anything that can be done to put pressure to address the issue."

The BPNA carried out the survey following an investigation last year into claims that 170 children at the Leicester Royal Infirmary were incorrectly treated.

An independent review found that the youngsters were either misdiagnosed or over-prescribed anti-epilepsy drugs.

The chief medical officer for England and Wales, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, said last year that successive Governments had done little to address epilepsy care, despite several reports calling for action.

An estimated 300,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition at any one time, but figures in a 1999 report on epilepsy services found that Britain has fewer neurologists than other nations.

Britain has about five per one million people, although not all specialise in epilepsy.