Migraines: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of migraine on the level of demand for NHS services, including repeat GP appointments, referrals and hospital admissions.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
We recognise the substantial economic and National Health Service burden of migraine, alongside the personal impacts. We know that there are an estimated 16,500 emergency admissions per year for migraine that could be avoided, costing the NHS £11.5 million.
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with migraine such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme.
The Neurology Transformation Programme is strengthening integrated headache pathways, supporting integrated care boards to deliver consistent, timely migraine care closer to home. The RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit also gives systems a clear blueprint for earlier diagnosis, better long‑term management, and reducing unwarranted variation.
The GIRFT Programme is also working to standardise care, promote better use of preventive treatments, and reduce reliance on accident and emergency for migraine crises by empowering general practices to manage headache disorders effectively.
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