In January 1996, the National Health Service Exe tive for England and Wales (NHSE) issued an Execu Letter, EL(95)1201, which asked both purchasers a providers to work towards best practice in commissi ing, contracting and service delivery for epilepsy. T occurred against a backdrop of recognition that th was a significant shortfall in the quality of epilep services nationally. The British Epilepsy Associati (BEA) is the largest consumer-led epilepsy organi tion in the world. In January 1997 the BEA conduct a nationwide survey of health authorities 2 to assess lo cal purchasing and planning activity for epilepsy a to identify the current commitment to change, follow ing the Executive Letter. This survey of health a thorities was repeated in February 1998 to determ whether the proposed development and improvem of epilepsy services, generated by the Executive Le had taken place. During 1997, as a response to the needs identi by the initial survey results, the BEA launched a ser of regional workshops entitled Putting Best Practice Into Practice; with one subsequently targeted at e NHS Executive Region. Each meeting invited delega from three or four health authorities, together with cal secondary care specialists and general practition with the objective of advising and supporting tho present to review their current service provision a to plan for change or improvement, where necess By the time that the 1998 BEA survey was distribute seven of these regional meetings had taken plac further analysis of the survey results has been use determine the effectiveness of the Putting Best Practice Into Practicemeeting series in raising awareness of need to improve services and to provide a founda on which health authorities can plan such impro