Beyond Face Value: unmasking the impact of migraine

6 min read17 June Partner content

Migraine is often dismissed as “just a bad headache.”¹ Yet a report, developed and funded by biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, suggests it is also a driver of economic inactivity and healthcare demand in the UK. Ahead of the Westminster launch of the Beyond Face Value report, developed and funded by AbbVie UK, on 23rd June, we explore whether policymakers can afford to keep overlooking a condition that, according to the National Migraine Centre, is more prevalent than diabetes, asthma, and epilepsy combined in the UK.²

This article has been commissioned and funded by AbbVie. This article is intended for UK parliamentarians, policymakers, and members of the general public with an interest in health policy.

Despite affecting around one in seven adults in the UK,¹ migraine often remains overlooked as part of national health policy, with patients reporting inconsistent care.¹ The report, set to be launched in Parliament by AbbVie, suggests that addressing this policy blindspot could help improve the lives of people living with migraine while also strengthening the nation’s economy.

"In 2021, it was estimated that around 10 million adults in the UK are living with migraine³, and yet this condition continues to be underrepresented as part of the Government’s priorities national policy,¹" Steve Hopkinson, General Manager of AbbVie UK told PoliticsHome. "This is not just a health issue - it is a workforce issue,⁴ a productivity issue, ⁵ and a quality of life issue.⁵ Yet it remains almost absent from the government’s agenda on long-term conditions and economic inactivity.⁶"

Migraine is a long-term neurological condition, that typically involves throbbing head pain of moderate to severe intensity which may last between four and 72 hours. These may be highly debilitating and may be accompanied by other possible symptoms like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sensory sensitivity.⁷ For those living with the condition, there may be wide-ranging and considerable impact on their emotional, financial, and social wellbeing.⁵Some patients may be unable to participate in social activities or attend work.⁵

Jim Shannon MP is the Democratic Unionist Party’s Health Spokesperson and a long-term campaigner for increased awareness and better care for people living with migraine. He told us that more must be done to place the condition at the heart of mainstream debates about health.

“Migraine is a debilitating condition affecting around 10 million adults in the UK,³ with women being two to three times more likely to experience it than men,”³ he told PoliticsHome. “Despite its impact, migraine has not received the prioritisation it deserves in Parliament - a gap reflected in current health and economic policy.”

The impact of migraine extends beyond physical health. A 2024 survey carried out by The Migraine Trust found that 89% of patients surveyed said their mental health had been affected (n = 1,965/2,208).⁵ This cumulative health impact is creating pressure for an NHS under strain. Around £150 million per year is spent by the NHS in England on migraine care, (according to NHS England in 2020).⁸ This burden is particularly shouldered by primary care, where migraine accounts for over 2.5 million primary care appointments a year, as reported by the Migraine Trust in 2020.^8,9

The impact is felt beyond the healthcare system too. Migraine also has an effect on employment and productivity.⁵ A 2018 Work Foundation report estimates that an average of 5.7 workdays are lost for every person with migraine each year in England.¹⁰

Migraine and chronic headache were found by The Migraine Trust to be the second most frequent cause of short-term workplace absence for non-manual employees.⁴ This echoes a 2018 study from The Work Foundation that found migraine accounts for approximately 86 million lost workdays annually in the UK, with an estimated economic cost of £8.8 billion in lost productivity per year due to absenteeism and presenteeism.¹⁰

Behind these national statistics, there is also a personal cost that those experiencing migraine may face. A significant proportion of people with the condition face constraints in their career.¹¹ Research from the National Migraine Centre found that a quarter of people surveyed living with migraine (n = 426) have changed careers due to the condition and/or headache,¹¹ and over half (54%) report financial difficulties as a result.¹¹

Steve Hopkinson believes that government must now act to prioritise migraine because of its significant contribution to absenteeism and presenteeism in the UK.¹⁰

“The Government’s commitment to reducing health-related economic inactivity should include migraine as part of the Get Britain Working agenda⁶,” he says. “Access to appropriate care could enable more people to remain in work and reduce the need for repeated NHS contact.”

The forthcoming Beyond Face Value report highlights a series of practical steps that could enable that to happen. It identifies the inclusion of migraine within the delivery and monitoring mechanisms of Get Britain Working as an important first step, increasing recognition of the condition as a clinical and occupational health priority. That would also lead to the generation of better data on prevalence, service usage, and outcomes - particularly important when it comes to underrepresented groups.³

The report also makes a broader case for ensuring that migraine features consistently in future government strategies on workforce health. With the economy still feeling the effects of post-pandemic inactivity,⁶ addressing the workplace impact of migraine could reduce the £8.8 billion cost in lost productivity.¹⁰

Although employers are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting staff with chronic conditions, without a clear policy steer workplace adaptation to support employees living with migraine will continue to be uneven.

The publication of the Beyond Face Value report aims to shift this dynamic. It presents a comprehensive picture of the personal, clinical, and economic consequences of migraine, and sets out a clear roadmap for reform. AbbVie suggests that without urgent structural change, both patients and the wider system will continue to bear unnecessary costs.

“It is time to start treating migraine as the issue it is,” Steve Hopkinson says. “The costs are simply too high to ignore.”

With 10 million Britons living with migraine³, it's time that policy makers started listening.

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Date of preparation: June 2025
Job bag: UK-NEUM-250032