Selby migraine training call

Published on Monday 5 September 2011 11:50

TWO of the UK’s leading migraine charities are calling for more training for Selby area GPs after a new report revealed that only four hours are committed to headache disorders in formal undergraduate medication training.

Migraine Action and the City of London Migraine Clinic launched the campaign during this week’s Migraine Awareness Week after the report Atlas of Headache Disorders and Resources in the World 2011, a collaborative project produced by World Health Organisation and Lifting the Burden, The Global Campaign against Headache, summarised a lack of education as the key issue impeding good management of headache.

The World Health Organisation has classified migraine as amongst the top twenty most disabling lifetime conditions. It is estimated to affect one in seven people in the UK and is more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. Although there is not yet a cure for migraine, there are now many acute and preventative treatment options available which can significantly reduce the impact of migraine on an individual’s personal and professional life.

The report supports anecdotal feedback gathered by the charities, both of whom believe that whilst most migraineurs could be managed successfully in a primary care setting, many do not receive adequate care due to a lack of understanding about the condition. This can lead to numerous costly repeat consultations, unnecessary referrals into secondary care and inappropriate treatments.

A poll undertaken by The City of London Migraine Clinic found that:

69% of migraineurs feel that their GP does not understand the effect migraine has on their life*

Dr Sue Lipscombe is a GP with a specialist interest in headache and a member of Migraine Action’s Medical Advisory Board. Medical students mentored by Dr Lipscombe have confirmed they only receive an hour-long lecture on headache with an hour in a headache clinic before undertaking some home-study. She says, “I believe the public will be extremely distressed to know the low level of training medical students currently receive on headache. Of course there is a huge amount for medical students to cover, but the priority given to headache in comparison with its impact both on individuals and wider society seems to be disproportionately low and needs to be addressed.”

Joanna Hamilton-Colclough, Director of Migraine Action, comments: “Whilst people with more severe migraine will continue to need specialist care, the majority of migraineurs should receive appropriate support from their GP to enable them to successfully manage their migraine. However, whilst some receive excellent care, we know from calls to our helpline that others do not and feel very let down. In the worst cases people go away from a GP consultation feeling that nothing can be done to help them. This can lead to years of unnecessary suffering, breakdowns in relationships and job losses. This is unacceptable.”

Heather Sim, Chief Executive of City of London Migraine clinic, “Migraine is a common condition, costing the UK economy an estimated £2.25 billion per year. We are a charity focused on improving the treatment of migraine and cluster headaches in the UK; we see our role as essential not only in providing treatment to sufferers but also in the provision of education to healthcare professionals. We know that 90% of all headache and migraine cases should be dealt with in Primary Care, however without adequate GP training this is often not the case. We currently provide extremely well evaluated education to GPs but we are only able to run a few courses each year as we receive no funding from the NHS for our work and have to balance our resources between our treatment and educational roles. We would like to see an investment in education of GPs to enable them to manage the majority of patients in Primary Care, resulting in improved outcomes, delivered in a cost effective way closer to patients’ homes. We see the recent proposed changes to the NHS as an opportunity to achieve this goal”.

http://www.selbytimes.co.uk/news/health/selby_migraine_training_call_1_3744488