Chronic Pain Service Improvement –– Progress Monitoring Template
Name Organisation
NHS Forth Valley Chronic Pain Service Improvement Group
Reporter
Linda Frydrychova
Date of report
6 August 2014
Part one
- Key Achievements and Risks
Key achievements
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A SIGN 136 guideline information evening was held for primary care and community staff on 22 May 2014.
The Self Management Workstream compiled a list of recommended reading, including the national chronic pain website and
Wellbeing books. Local libraries have confirmed which books they stock and which they will add to their loan collections.
Every Forth Valley GP has been sent a copy of the recommended reading list to signpost to patients and reminded about the
national chronic pain website.
Copies of Forth Valley Pain Toolkit, My Support Plan and The Back Book were issued to community pharmacies and general
practices in June 2014.
The Patient Subgroup has evaluated self management materials and chronic pain-related websites, including the national
site, and reported back to Self Management and Web Resource workstreams.
Key risks to implementation – please include steps taken to mediate the risk
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The Web Advisor to the Forth Valley SIG left post in July 2014. There is no longer a specific IT staff member available to the
SIG. The Web Resource Workstream is now being co-led by two SIG members who will co-opt specific staff and stakeholders to
assist, as required. Web Resource Workstream members will participate in the national CP Web Workstream meetings to keep
up to date with national initiatives.
There is no dedicated service for children and young people in Forth Valley. SIG members are in contact with local
paediatricians to highlight the current government-funded initiative as well as local and national resources and pathways. A
meeting will be scheduled with local paediatricians. Contact will also be made with the national Children’s Subgroup.
There is currently no Pain Management Programme which would offer an intensive, bespoke service and would be crucial to the
full implementation of the Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain and to the success of MSK redesign. Forth Valley SIG is
scoping out the resources required and the associated risks and benefits. Attention will be given to sustainability of any
programme after the end of the funding period and to securing ongoing resources to maintain any other new services which
have been introduced.
Part two
- Progress against actions to implement the Scottish service model/ Board workplan
Action
Lead / contact
Progress
Timescale /
Key milestone
RAG Status
Develop multidisciplinary
training
Jenny Drinkell – Multidisciplinary
Training Workstream

5 FV physios will be offered
places on the Lothain Pain
Training course and
training will be cascaded
subsequently. Uptake will
be confirmed in mid August.
Training needs, highlighted
at the SIGN guideline
information event and by
earlier emails to GPs and
pharmacists asking about
learning needs, are being
addressed through
protected learning sessions
planned for October and
November; topics are likely
to include diagnosis,
pharmacological
management, the role of
psychological interventions
and physical therapies.
mid August 2014
Green
August – November 2014
Green
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Not all staff trained in
diagnosis and treatment of
chronic pain in all sectors
Earlier diagnosis
Staff lack confidence to
deal with patients with
chronic pain

Promote patient access to self
management tools
Clare Ballance – Self
Management Workstream

Training will be offered to
clinicians so they can help
patients self manage; this
will include training for
clinicians in use of the Forth
Valley Pain Toolkit and My
Support Plan.
August – November 2014
Green
Improve signposting and access
to web-based resources
Linda Frydrychova and Florence
Miller – Web Resource
Workstream

An audit of current
resources will be carried
out with assistance of other
workstreams.
August – October 2014
Green
Scope out resources and
associated risks/benefits of a
Pain Management Programme
(PMP)
Clare Ballance and Jenny
Drinkell

Costings for a local model
are being collated for
discussion at the FV SIG on
19 August.
August 2014
Green