Private Paediatric Neurologist Birmingham & West Midlands
Professor Rajat Gupta provides one of the UK's most established private paediatric neurology services from The Vesey in Sutton Coldfield. Epilepsy and seizure assessment, headache, developmental concerns, and complex neurodisability.
Paediatric neurology is a small UK specialty — there are fewer than 200 substantive consultants nationwide. Professor Rajat Gupta is one of the most established in the West Midlands, with over 20 years' experience at Birmingham Children's Hospital and an internationally recognised programme in childhood epilepsy. The Vesey is his private practice base, where he sees families personally and stand-alone.
Conditions Professor Gupta sees
Professor Gupta assesses and manages the full range of conditions in this specialty. The list below is grouped by area — most patients come with a single concern but often leave with multiple things addressed in one appointment.
- First seizure assessment
- Suspected epilepsy diagnosis
- Medication review & rationalisation
- Drug-resistant epilepsy second opinion
- Childhood absence epilepsy
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
- Photosensitive epilepsy
- Chronic daily headache assessment
- Migraine with and without aura
- Medication overuse headache
- Red flag headache exclusion
- Preventive medication advice
- School attendance support
- Developmental delay assessment
- Cerebral palsy diagnosis & management
- Tics & Tourette's syndrome
- Movement disorders & tremor
- Hypotonia in infancy
- Coordination disorders & dyspraxia referral
- Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD)
- Breath-holding spells
- Syncope assessment
- Parasomnias & sleep events
- Reflex anoxic seizures
- Spina bifida & hydrocephalus follow-up
- Metabolic & genetic neurological disorders
- Post-meningitis & post-encephalitis review
- Acquired brain injury rehabilitation planning
- Transition to adult neurology
- EEG referral & interpretation
- MRI brain referral & review
- Genetic testing in epilepsy
- Lumbar puncture (in hospital setting)
- Second-opinion film review
What to expect
From enquiry to discharge, this is what happens.
Email or call with a brief summary. Professor Gupta's secretary confirms the right appointment length and answers any questions.
60-minute new-patient appointment with Professor Gupta personally. Bring any previous notes, EEG reports, MRI imaging on disc, seizure videos, and your child's red book.
EEG, MRI or blood tests are referred to external accredited providers. The Vesey does not provide these in-house, and timescales are set by the chosen external provider. Reports return to Professor Gupta directly.
Diagnostic conclusion and management plan with you, your child where age-appropriate, and your GP / school with consent.
From Professor Gupta
"The families who come to me privately almost always have one thing in common: they've been worried for months, sometimes years, and they want a single conversation with a paediatric neurologist who has time to listen, examine carefully, and explain what's happening. I see that as a privilege, and I treat it as one."
Professor Rajat Gupta · Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, The Vesey
What a paediatric neurologist actually does
Paediatric neurology is the medical specialty dealing with disorders of the developing brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles in children. It's distinct from paediatric psychiatry (which deals with mental health) and paediatric neurosurgery (which performs operations on the nervous system).
Children are referred to a paediatric neurologist for:
- Suspected seizures or epilepsy — the largest single referral group
- Headache that is unusual, severe, or interfering with daily life
- Developmental concerns with a neurological component — motor delay, regression, asymmetric weakness
- Movement disorders — tics, tremor, dystonia, chorea
- Unexplained paroxysmal events that may or may not be epileptic
- Follow-up after a neurological diagnosis made elsewhere — for review, second opinion, or treatment optimisation
The single most valuable thing a paediatric neurologist does is take a meticulous history. In epilepsy, in particular, the description of what actually happened during an event is more diagnostically useful than any single test. Professor Gupta allocates 60 minutes to new patients for exactly this reason.
Recording seizures and events on a phone — what helps
A short video clip taken on a parent's phone is often the single most useful piece of clinical information in epilepsy assessment. If your child has had a witnessed event you don't fully understand, please try to capture the next one on video — focusing on:
- The face and head, particularly any eye deviation or rhythmic movements
- Limbs — whether movements are symmetric or one-sided
- Awareness — try gently calling your child's name during the event
- Total length — record from before the event starts if possible to after recovery begins
Bring the video to your appointment. It will not, on its own, diagnose epilepsy — but it is enormously helpful in deciding whether the event was likely epileptic, and in choosing the right test.
Headache in children — when it matters
Headache is common in childhood. The reassuring truth is that the great majority of childhood headache is benign — migraine and tension-type headache account for more than 90% of cases. However, certain features warrant urgent assessment:
- Headache present on waking, with or without vomiting
- Progressive worsening over weeks
- Headache associated with personality change, visual problems, or balance disturbance
- Headache plus new-onset seizure
- Headache in a child under 5
- Headache after a head injury that doesn't improve over 1–2 weeks
If your child has any of these features, see your GP today or attend a paediatric emergency department — do not wait for a private appointment. For chronic, recurrent, or unexplained headache without these features, a planned paediatric neurology assessment is appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enquire about a private paediatric neurology appointment?
Please use the Enquire button on this page — it opens an email directly to Professor Gupta's secretary, who will confirm availability and discuss your child's presenting concern. You can also call us on 0121 387 3727.
Do I need a GP or paediatrician referral?
No. You can enquire directly. If your child has already been seen by an NHS paediatrician or has had previous tests, please bring those letters and reports — they save time and avoid unnecessary repeat testing.
Is Professor Gupta the only paediatric neurologist at The Vesey?
Yes — Professor Gupta provides the paediatric neurology service personally and stand-alone. We don't substitute consultants. Where additional subspecialty input is needed, he may refer to a paediatric cardiologist or to specific UK colleagues.
Can my child have an EEG at The Vesey?
We don't operate an in-house EEG service. EEG is referred to an accredited external provider; Professor Gupta then reviews the report and traces directly. Scheduling and timescales are managed by the external provider — we have no influence over their availability.
Can my child have an MRI brain scan?
MRI is arranged via partner imaging providers in Birmingham. Most paediatric MRI under 6 is performed under general anaesthetic — Professor Gupta will confirm whether this is appropriate at the consultation. Scheduling, protocol and turnaround are set by the external imaging provider, not by The Vesey.
Can Professor Gupta prescribe anti-epileptic medication?
Yes. Following diagnosis, the appropriate medication is initiated and titrated. Once stable, Professor Gupta will routinely write to your NHS GP requesting shared care so ongoing prescribing transfers to the NHS — this is at your GP's discretion.
What if we want to remain NHS for treatment but use you for diagnosis?
That's a common and entirely sensible approach. Many families see Professor Gupta privately for a single diagnostic conversation and then continue NHS treatment, often with the consultation letter expediting the NHS pathway. He supports that fully.
Do you see children with autism / ADHD primarily?
Pure autism or ADHD assessment is not paediatric neurology. Where a child has a clear neurological dimension (epilepsy plus autism, tics plus learning difficulty, regression with developmental concern) Professor Gupta is the right starting point.
How will my child's school be involved?
With parental consent, Professor Gupta routinely writes to schools, SENCOs and educational psychologists with practical recommendations. For epilepsy and chronic headache this often makes a meaningful difference to attendance, exam access arrangements, and PE participation.
Does insurance cover paediatric neurology?
Bupa, Vitality, AXA Health, Aviva and WPA all routinely cover paediatric neurology consultations. Investigations (EEG, MRI) may need separate authorisation. Please enquire and we'll guide you through the process.
Consultant-led paediatric neurologist in the West Midlands
Open 7 days a week 8am–8pm. Free parking, no GP referral, insurance accepted.
CQC reg. 1-11527097165