Published Date: 26 October 2012

Update report on Scottish Pain Management Services

This report is a follow-up to the Getting to GRIPS with Chronic Pain in Scotland – Getting Relevant Information on Pain Services which was published in 2007 and reissued in 2008, with an endorsement from Nicola Sturgeon, the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.

This update reports on pain management across NHSScotland using data collected from April 2010 to March 2011 and provides further information on provision of Pain Management Services across Scotland, identifying any gaps and variation

Conclusions and recommendations

There is still variation in the provision of pain management services which is not related to the populations of the NHS boards, but seems to be a result of how services have evolved in local circumstances. There is also variability across Scotland in referral rates to chronic pain services.

There is enthusiasm and energy across Scotland with many examples of excellent and innovative practice. In particular, there has been investment in musculoskeletal services with physiotherapy leading on much of this work.

Pharmacy is also taking on a growing role in service provision and in spring 2013 there will be a pharmacy poster campaign aimed at raising awareness through community pharmacies across Scotland.

There is no doubt there have been improvements in the provision of pain management services since the GRIPS report, but gaps remain in the provision of services. Our recommendations within this report aim to support NHS boards to address those gaps and further improve chronic pain services.