Hermicrania Condition Leaves Anglesey Man Facing 4.5-Hour Trips
Rhys Richards, 30, from Bodedern on Anglesey, has lived with a constant headache for two years. Treatment in Liverpool brings relief, but the round trip takes 4.5 hours. A GP says talks are under way to bring services closer to patients in north Wales.
A rare hermicrania condition leaves Anglesey man Rhys Richards, 30, with a constant headache that he has lived with for two years, he said. He has hemicrania continua, a neurological condition, and must travel several hours from his home in Bodedern to Liverpool for treatment.
The Welsh government said it recognises the debilitating effects of chronic headaches. It said it will keep working with NHS organisations to support cross-border healthcare where it is in the best interests of patients.
Richards works on power lines and has a 16-month-old toddler with his wife, Mererid. He said his headache lasts "from morning, noon until night" and is felt mainly on the left side and at the front.
"It's different to a normal headache or a migraine," he said. "Not much will get rid of it, it's something that painkillers in general don't touch the sides."
The pain can be mild at times, but he often gets flare-ups, which he said is common with the condition. "When I get them, it feels like someone is squeezing my head," he said. "My eyes get watery, I can't focus, I can't see the same." A flare-up can last between 10 minutes and an hour and a half.
His treatment involves four injections into his head that block nerves. He said the back of his head goes numb for a few days, and after about two weeks he is headache free.
"The sense of relief is unbelievable," he said. "It was like a cloud had lifted."
The cost is time. Richards said the 4.5-hour round trip takes up the whole day. "There and back, the day is gone by the time we've got there," he said.
He believes others in the area may have the same or a similar condition. "You'd like to think that something can be done locally," he said.
GP calls for care closer to home
Karen Simpson, a GP with an extended role in headache medicine, said much about the condition is still unknown. She said it is hard for patients to travel so far.
"It can be hundreds of miles there and back for a half-hour appointment," she said. She said there are discussions about bringing services closer to patients in north Wales to provide equitable care.
The Welsh government said an all-Wales headache toolkit supports frontline clinical teams in diagnosing and planning care. It also said there are "well-established links and mutual arrangements in place between NHS Wales and NHS England".
The Migraine Trust describes hemicrania continua as a continuous, fluctuating pain on one side of the head. The pain is usually mild to moderate, but many people with the condition also have episodes of severe pain.
Richards said he wants to raise awareness of hidden disorders. "Injections worked for me, they might not for others. But the most important thing I found out through the journey was seeking the advice, consultation and expertise."
