About Us
We take the simplest things for granted in our everyday lives. The ability to keep food in our mouths as we eat, the ability to close our eyes for sleep, the ability to kiss our loved ones, and the ability to laugh without fear of being ridiculed. The condition facial palsy affects basic human function, yet many people affected by the condition are struggling to access medical help, as shown by the statistics below:
> 41% of people with facial palsy said they were not aware more help was available via the NHS
> 31% had been told there was no specialist help available
There are services, treatments and surgeries available to help facial palsy patients, but these can be difficult to access simply due to lack of awareness.
Facial Palsy UK exists to ensure that every person in the UK is given access to the best information, treatment and support available. A new charity established in 2012, we provide comprehensive information as well as support for people affected by facial palsy. Facial palsy, sometimes known as facial paralysis, is a condition resulting from damage or absence or impairment of the facial nerve that supplies the muscles of facial function and expression, and affects blinking, closing the eye for sleep, eating and drinking, speech, smiling and frowning. Facial palsy can be the result of multiple causes: disease, injury, stroke, birth trauma, cancer, or neurological condition - to name but a few. Whatever the cause, the physical, emotional and psychological consequences of living with facial palsy are usually the same, although to varying degrees, and they can be equally devastating for the people affected and their families.
Before establishing the charity, many people were completely without any form of help or support. Facial Palsy UK aims to improve understanding of facial palsy among the public and the medical profession, and improve access to treatments currently available, as well as raising funds for research into new treatments.
Press releases
FACE FACTS: THE SMILES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED UNTIL WE LOSE THEM
What is a smile? What does it mean to you? A way of communicating, being able to express yourself? What if your face was emotionless? A recent... read more
03.03.2016 • By Facial Palsy UK
ROUTINE PHYSIOTHERAPY RARELY A REALITY FOR FACIAL PALSY PATIENTS
97% of the general public believe that treatments for facial palsy should be routinely available via the NHS, a recent survey by charity Facial... read more
01.03.2016 • By Facial Palsy UK
Facing Difficulties: paralysed patients denied prompt care
As part of the first global 'Facial Palsy Awareness Week', figures from a new study have been released highlighting the difficulties patients... read more
25.02.2015 • By Facial Palsy UK
Facing facts: 44% of Bell’s Palsy Patients Do Not Receive Recommended...
A recent study in the British Medical Journal[1] has revealed that almost half of patients with facial paralysis are not receiving recommended... read more
15.08.2013 • By Facial Palsy UK
Two Women, Six Episodes of Bell’s Palsy – A Wish List for Future Care
Nicola Hawkes (40) and Laura Hickey (30) have both been battling Bell’s palsy, the most common form of facial paralysis, since the age of 17. Both... read more
11.06.2013 • By Facial Palsy UK
