Thank you for contacting me about support for children, young people and adults living with migraines. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday 20 March.
I know that migraines are one of the most common neurological conditions, affecting more than 10 million people and with over 190,000 migraine attacks every day in the UK.
The Migraine Trust's report, "Heading in the Wrong Direction" presents concerning findings about rising waiting times for specialist migraine care, and access to specialist headache clinics.
I know that the NHS has committed to provide 26,000 more direct patient care staff and 50 million more appointments in general practice by 2024. This will help to reduce the time taken to diagnose conditions such as migraines.
The National Neurosciences Advisory Group is working to make recommendations to NHS England about improvements that Trusts can take in the quality of care for people living with migraines through earlier diagnosis and better access to new treatments.
I am also supportive of organisations like The Migraine Trust who fund research into migraines and seek a greater understanding of the condition as well as further treatment opportunities. I know that migraines can be extremely debilitating, and recognise that there is more that needs to be done to improve migraine care.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
