A new survey by the Migraine Trust shows that people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK are more likely to receive poorer migraine care and to fear discrimination because of their condition.
Among 2,200 respondents, 23% of mixed-ethnicity, 19% of Asian and 16% of Black participants said their ethnicity had negatively affected their treatment, compared with just 7% of white respondents. Black respondents were also far more likely to fear discrimination at work (37%) or worry that they would not be believed about their symptoms.
Examples of poor care included being dismissed, misdiagnosed or facing stereotypes—such as assumptions that women’s migraines are “just hormonal” or that Black patients tolerate pain better.
Rob Music, chief executive of the Migraine Trust, said the inequities “cannot be continued,” urging action across society to ensure people with migraines feel “understood, safe and heard.” Neurological Alliance chief executive Georgina Carr echoed the call, warning that gender, ethnicity and income still determine the quality of care many receive.
The NHS said all patients deserve high-quality, respectful care and encouraged those with migraine symptoms to seek medical support, noting that multiple treatment options are available.
