Rob Music
Chief Executive, The Migraine Trust
Too many people with migraine are unable to access new treatments and specialist care across the UK. It’s time for change.
Migraine is a painful, long-term health condition. Symptoms include severe head pain, vomiting, dizziness and sensory changes such as blind spots in your field of vision. Migraine can have a huge impact on all aspects of a person’s life, from their career and education to their mental health.
One in seven people have migraine yet it is too often dismissed as a bad headache. This lack of understanding from co-workers, friends and even medical professionals can make life very challenging for those living with the condition.
Key issues with migraine healthcare
Recent research by The Migraine Trust uncovered a range of issues with migraine healthcare in the UK. These include waiting years to be diagnosed or not being diagnosed at all, a lack of specialists and specialist care and difficulties accessing medication. The research found that 23% of people had migraine attacks for over two years before they were diagnosed. Meanwhile, the UK has just 1.1 full time equivalent neurologists per 100,000 people, compared to four per 100,000 in Germany and France.
Accessing life-changing medication
Many people are unable to access a new treatment called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antibody medication, despite it being approved for use on the NHS. It is the first preventive medication developed specifically for migraine. Unfortunately, access to these drugs is a postcode lottery, with too many eligible patients unable to access it.
Migraine can have a huge impact on all aspects of a person’s life, from their career and education to their mental health.
When asked whether they offer CGRP treatment through a freedom of information request, only 12% of English Health Trusts, and 38% of Health Boards in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland replied and said that eligible patients could access it.
Change is urgently needed
Too many people in the UK are being failed by the migraine healthcare system, but this must change. Some steps that can be taken to ensure people with migraine get the care they deserve, include:
- Greater investment and prioritisation of migraine within the healthcare system, and treating it with the seriousness it deserves
- Improvements to primary care, such as better support and training for GPs and junior doctors
- Recruitment of more headache specialists across the UK
In the UK, 10 million people have migraine and an estimated 43 million days are lost from work and education each year because of it. Our healthcare system does not need to be overhauled, but we hope that it can be adapted to reflect just how common and debilitating migraine is.
Find out more at migrainetrust.org
