About Us

Our vision

A society where facial palsy is widely recognised and every person in the UK affected can access the information, treatment and support they need.

Our mission

Facial Palsy UK provides an essential service to those affected by facial palsy, through the provision of information and support, promotion of best practice; and engagement in high quality research.

Our aims

Facial Palsy UK pledges:

  • To increase awareness of facial palsy and its social, physical and psychological consequences.
  • To improve the physical and emotional health of adults and children with facial palsy.
  • To promote access to diagnosis, acute and long-term management and rehabilitation of people living with facial palsy.

Our three strategic objectives are:

  1. Inform – To improve further the information available to patients and health professionals about facial palsy and to raise more awareness whilst empowering those affected.
  2. Support – To improve further our support services for people living with facial palsy and to influence and challenge healthcare providers to do the same.
  3. Research – To gather evidence to inform and enable improvements in pathways of care for ‘right service, first time’ and encourage more research in the diagnosis and long-term management of facial palsy.

Please see our Strategic Plan 2023-2026 for more information (opens in new window).

Why is the charity needed?

Facial Palsy UK is still a very young charity (set up in 2012), the first charity to offer specific support to people affected by facial palsy due to any cause. 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.

The need for a charity specifically for facial palsy was recognised following the development of the Facial Palsy Clinic at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. In 2009, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Charles Nduka who set up the service conducted a survey and in conjunction with patient feedback noted that:

  • The average duration between the onset of paralysis and referral to a specialist for treatment was 5.6 years which means that there is a huge unmet need for help.
  • Patients were travelling from across the UK (including Northern Ireland and Scotland) in order to be seen.
  • The information that patients had been given by some health professionals was incorrect and might impact negatively on their outcome.
  • There were limited resources in the community to support patients, their relatives and partners.

Whilst existing charities help and support some patients with specific causes of facial palsy (such as the British Acoustic Neuroma Association, or the Bell’s Palsy Association), many patients do not fall within any recognised group and are therefore without support.

Added to the frustration of living with facial palsy is the public perception that the condition is purely a cosmetic issue, rather than a functional one affecting communication (facial expression), eating and drinking, and the closure of the eye on the affected side.

How will we make a difference?

We have various plans to make a difference to the lives of people affected by facial palsy. We intend to:

  • Raise awareness of facial palsy and how it impacts on the lives of those affected, and to challenge those who perceive this to be simply a cosmetic condition.
  • Provide support to people affected by facial palsy, ensuring advice and help is given responsibly without bias. Support will be offered via various channels ensuring it is accessible to all.
  • Increase awareness of the needs of facial palsy patients.
  • Standardise assessment procedures.
  • Promote training of more specialists so treatments are more widely available and easier to access.
  • Instigate research projects for the long-term benefit of people affected by facial palsy. Very few research projects investigating the causes and treatments of facial palsy are currently being undertaken.

Fundraising

Find out more about how donations received are used by visiting our webpage How We Use Your Funds.

Further information about Facial Palsy UK

Last reviewed: 27-06-2023    ||    Next review due: 27-06-2026