Your Doctor Isn’t Ready – poll in the UK highlights global problem
It’s almost proverbial – going to see a doctor because you have a headache. But many people would be surprised at just how unprepared many doctors are to help you.
Statistics collected in the UK highlight this problem again – and it’s not just a problem in one country, it’s a global issue.
Remember now, 99% of us are going to have a headache sometime. In fact, most of us will get one this year. And although migraine attacks are more rare, about 15-20% of us will have a migraine attack sometime. And that means millions of attacks around the world every day.
Migraine has been called one of the world’s top ten disabilities.
So during their years in medical school, just how much training are future doctors getting? Not just training about migraine, but all headache disorders?
In the UK, it’s about 4 hours. Yes, hours. Hopefully they had their coffee that day and stayed awake.
But in the UK there are specialist nurses who focus on headache conditions – they can support the doctor, right?
Sure. There are 23 of them in the UK. And about 8 million migraineurs in the UK alone.
There are doctors specializing in migraine and headache as well – but they also are hard for people to find in many cases.
We are thankful for the doctors who take headache conditions seriously, and who continue their study as they’re able, and who remain open to new ideas and new treatments.
But with a lack of funding, and a lack of training, the system does not seem to be supporting these doctors.
The fact remains that we as patients are ultimately responsible for our own care. But we also need to encourage schools and organizations and governments to take migraine and other headache disorders seriously.
Before you cast the next vote or write the next letter or attend the next board meeting, ask yourself – can I help fight migraine by being a part of the fix?
Source: Shock poll fuels migraine crisis – NHS bosses warned to boost aid for GPs (The Migraine Trust)