Service aims

Our Chronic Pain Service has been set up to provide a community-based service, tailored to the needs of people with chronic pain.

Pain management

The service’s purpose is to help people who suffer from persistent pain develop ways to self-manage their pain. Our specialist teams include nurses, doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, advanced pain practitioners, supportive therapists, for example Alexander Technique teachers, Tai Chi instructors or Mindful Movement teachers – depending on the area – and an administrative team.

People can be affected by pain in many ways as it causes difficult and distressing symptoms, which can be complex, altering moods and weight, reducing fitness and impacting on work and many other aspects of life.

It is difficult to totally relieve chronic pain and our aim is to involve you as actively as possible in managing your pain so you can have more control over it and ultimately improve your quality of life.

Our service and approach can help you:

• become more skilled in managing your pain
• become fitter and have confidence to get more active
• learn ways to relax
• improve sleep
• help reduce pain, where and if possible
• develop skills to cope with mood changes, such as depression, anxiety, frustration and embarrassment
• be more aware of where to find help and resources.

What happens when you first attend the Chronic Pain Service?

Your first appointment is usually an introductory educational group session, either face-to-face or an online presentation where you will be introduced to the service and what we offer.

We will ask you to complete a questionnaire and call us to tell us your scores before this session. You will then be asked to consider if the service is right for you and your needs. If you decide it is, you will be booked in to see one of our clinicians for a one-to-one assessment. This appointment will take about 30 to 45 minutes.

What happens after the first appointment?

You will receive a copy of the letter sent to your GP which outlines the findings and plan made at the assessment. The plan will usually involve further sessions to help you:

• with other approaches to manage your pain, while making long-term changes
• monitor medications and support you to use them to the best effect
• discover useful information about your pain condition and ways to cope with it.

We may also:

• look at the benefits of attending our pain management programme or doing an online course
• direct you to additional help, such as pain support groups, health trainers or the Expert Patients Programme
• refer you to other specialist services, depending on your need.

The pain clinic does not usually order further tests and investigations. These should have been done before to exclude the need for surgery or referral to other specialists.

Useful websites

• Versus arthritis: versusarthritis.org/
• Faculty of Pain Medicine: https://fpm.ac.uk/patients/patient-info
• Fibromyalgia Association UK: fmauk.org
• Living Life to the Full: llttf.com
• Pain Concern: painconcern.org.uk
• Painkiller Addiction Information Network: painkillerfree.co.uk
• The British Pain Society: britishpainsociety.org
• My Live Well with Pain my.livewellwithpain.co.uk

Missed or cancelled appointments

If you miss your appointment, please contact us by the end of the same working day. If this is your first missed appointment and you have no previous missed appointments, you may be offered another appointment. If you do not contact us, we will assume you no longer wish to attend and you will be discharged from the service. Please speak to your GP if you would like to access the service again.

If you would like to cancel your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible. If you cancel your appointment on two occasions with less than 24 hours’ notice, you will be discharged from the service.