A couple who lost their 17-year-old son to epilepsy today called on the medical profession to tell the truth about the potentially fatal condition.

Mike and Jeni Turner, of Wyke, said patients should be given the stark facts about epilepsy in a bid to prevent more deaths.

Their plea follows a damning report, co-ordinated by Epilepsy Bereaved, which found that hundreds of deaths could have been avoided through better medical care.

Simon Turner died during a string of seizures in his sleep, known as status epilepticus, in March 2000. But his parents were unaware his diagnosis was life-threatening until they trawled the Internet for information.

Mrs Turner, a former nursing lecturer, said: "Epilepsy specialists and nurses know the facts. They're just not prepared to accept that other people have the right to know. We were told to see this as a minor problem in Simon's life, when in fact it was anything but.

"We weren't told that a change in medication or starting medication might increase the number of seizures. Every family wants to think that it is a minor hiccup, not serious, but in actual fact our son's risk of dying was one in 100. The way that people are treated by the medical profession as a whole is appalling and it's disrespectful."

Simon was just one case to be included in the report which was unveiled at the House of Lords on Monday.

Research found nearly three out of five child epilepsy deaths were potentially avoidable, as well as around four in ten adults. There were inadequate levels of care in 77 per cent of child cases and 54 per cent of adult cases. GPs and specialists also came under fire for not maintaining contact with bereaved families.

The Turners have also discovered that their son should have been on double the dose of medication he was taking.

Mr Turner, a magistrate, added: "The aim of this is to cut the number of deaths, get more money invested in epilepsy, bring care into the 21st Century, make more people aware and get rid of the stigma.

"If we can save at least one life through this report, Simon has not died in vain."

Epilepsy affects about 300,000 people in the UK, and kills around 1,000 every year. Of that number, it is believed that around half are sudden and unexpected deaths in otherwise healthy people, especially the young.

Experts believe that with proper management, 70 per cent of sufferers can live without the ever-present threat of seizures.

The national helpline for people with epilepsy is 080 8800 5050. Bereaved relatives can call (012 35) 772852