
Ana Vega, Executive Assistant to the Group Chief Executive, The Hospital Saturday Fund and Abdul Sohail, ICT Support Engineer, HSF Health Plan, presenting a grant of £10,000 to Rob Music, CEO, The Migraine Trust.
Enhancing Support and Awareness
The Migraine Trust is dedicated to helping people affected by migraine. They are the only UK migraine charity providing information and support, campaigning for awareness and change, and funding and promoting research.
Migraine is a long-term, painful health condition that affects around one in seven people. Over a billion people worldwide get migraines and over 10 million in the UK. Migraine is more than just a headache and can have other symptoms, the most common being light and sound sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. However, many people also experience dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus and temporary paralysis.
Expanding the Helpline
The specialist helpline offers direct access to a Headache Nurse Specialist and provides expert guidance and support, even for the most complex issues. The helpline, provided at no cost and without time limitations, has improved the quality of life for countless individuals with migraines.
Increasing the staff capacity from two to three specialist telephone helpline advisors will not only enhance the ability to handle more helpline calls, ultimately reducing the 135 missed calls each month, but it will also help deal with the increase in longer and more emotionally charged calls reflecting the profound impact of migraines on callers’ mental health. This expansion presents a unique opportunity to increase the reach and impact of their helpline service.
New Connections
Last June, the Migraine Trust introduced a LiveChat service and received 599 chats. This service has offered another contact method to those unable to contact them via phone or email and has increased the number of younger people using it.
In addition to the helpline and LiveChat service, the Migraine Trust also runs workplace awareness sessions for employers to help educate and improve their knowledge of migraines as long-term health conditions and their impact on the workplace.
The Grant
The Hospital Saturday Fund presented a grant of £10,000 to Migraine Trust. This grant will go towards increasing the capacity of their specialist helpline to reduce missed calls and aid more individuals living with migraines. In 2023, The Migraine Trust responded to over 4,400 enquiries with two advisors. They predict a 25 % increase in 2024, taking the number of calls to approximately 5,500. With three telephone advisors, the number of people that could be supported would increase to potentially 8,250.
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