3 October 2025
Conor Smyth
A specialist nurse has won a national award for providing invaluable support to people with epilepsy.
Conor Smyth, Epilepsy Advanced Nurse Practitioner at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, won the ESN Heroes Award from Epilepsy Action.
The awards, marking Epilepsy Action’s 75th anniversary, celebrate epilepsy specialist nurses (ESNs) around the UK.
Conor first qualified as a learning disability nurse. During his first job in a rehabilitation unit for children with acquired brain injury, he decided to undertake a diploma in epilepsy, and study epilepsy at master’s level in Leeds.
Following this, setting up an independent nurse-led epilepsy clinic for adults with learning disabilities was a key achievement for Conor. He then moved on to working in acute hospital settings and developed his role as an ESN.
He now works at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, advancing his practice and delivering support to his patients through follow-up and first clinics.
When nominating Conor, a patient of his said: “Conor helped me go from having seizures nearly every day, to absolutely nothing!
“Conor always looked at my care holistically, asking what I want, listening to what I had to say and paying attention to how epilepsy affected my life. He was compassionate and seemed to genuinely love his job. He was also knowledgeable and good at explaining things clearly; he could talk about the evidence behind treatments and knew when to try something different.
“I think Conor embodies what an epilepsy specialist nurse is meant to be – someone who focuses on improving each individual’s quality of life with epilepsy whilst always trying to get them as close as possible to seizure freedom.”
Conor said: “Thank you for the award. I was truly shocked and surprised to have received it. It is very humbling to think that a patient has taken the time to nominate me.
“Professionally, it helps highlight the work that ESNs across the UK do and the impact their care and intervention has on patients’ lives. Whilst I have received this award, my ESN colleagues all strive to provide the best care they can, in, often, high demand environments, and they are all heroes.
“Personally, it is lovely to receive positive feedback and to hear how my involvement has made a difference to someone’s life. I think I can speak for all ESNs, that when an intervention has led to someone become seizure free, it is very rewarding.
“A diagnosis of epilepsy can understandably be terrifying for patients and their families, so it is crucial that we listen to their concerns and educate them honestly and appropriately.”
Maisie Meegan, engagement coordinator at Epilepsy Action, said: “We invited the public to nominate their ESN for our ESN Heroes Award, and after reading through so many heartfelt and inspiring submissions, we were thrilled to be able to recognise Conor with this award.
“His dedication and impact have clearly resonated with the community and he’s an extremely worthy winner. Huge congratulations!”