Recommendation
Accepted/Not
Comments/Proposed Action
Accepted
1. Long-term pain should be recognised
Accepted
Lead
Responsibility
Ministerial announcement at launch of the
as a condition in its own right by all HSC
Painful Truth report that long term (chronic)
organisations who deliver care.
pain recognised as a long term condition in
DHSSPS
its own right. It is considered that to embed
this in the HSC it needs to be recognised and
acted upon by commissioners, providers and
independent contractors. The Department
will write to CEs of HSCB, PHA and HSC
Trusts advising them that long term (chronic)
pain should be recognised as a condition in
its own right and asking them to
commission/deliver appropriately. The
Department will also write to HSCB and Dr
Tom Black, GPC seeking them to bring the
issues raised in the report to the attention of
GPs.
2. Training and/or information leaflets
Accepted
Through a scoping exercise in 2014/15
aimed at GPs and front line health care
consideration to be given as to how
professionals should be developed. The
established mechanisms for professional
HSCB/PHA
aim of these resources should be to
development, for example training provided
increase awareness and inform health
through Royal Colleges and universities,
care staff on what long-term pain is and
might be utilised to address training gaps in
its effects on those who have it.
respect of long term (chronic) pain at
undergraduate and post graduate levels.
3. Information resources developed for
Accepted
As per Recommendation 2 above. Through a
healthcare staff should be directly
scoping exercise in 2014/15 identify the need
informed by and content/user tested with
for information resources which should be
those people who live with long-term pain
developed in consultation with the P&CC and
and/or their carers and relatives.
the PANI to ensure that information provided
HSCB/PHA
is informed by the experience of service
users.
4. A Strategic Framework for Pain
Not Accepted
Whilst recognising that there is scope for
Services should be developed. The
improvement in pain services across NI, the
framework should prioritise local primary
Department views the Long Term Conditions
care led multi-disciplinary teams and be
Policy Framework as an appropriate
supported by community pharmacy.
mechanism for improving services for people
with long term pain.
Improvement of pain services should also be
taken forward through existing
HSCB/PHA
commissioning arrangements. The scoping
exercise in the 2014/15 Commissioning Plan
would be the basis for informing future
service delivery.
5. Long-term pain management
Accepted in
ICP priorities are in place. Long Term
approaches need to be embedded into
part
(chronic) pain as a separate condition would
Integrated Care Partnerships so that
not fall within the initial tranches of activity. It
those with chronic pain benefit from the
is unlikely that there would be scope for ICPs
delivery of responsive, innovative and
to take on new areas for some time.
multi-disciplinary health care in the
However it is proposed that in the work
future.
already being taken forward by ICPs to
HSCB/PHA
review care pathways for those priority
conditions, the management of long term
(chronic) pain as part of the care pathway
should be considered within this process.
Department to write to HSCB to ensure that in
work being done to review care pathways for
the priority conditions, chronic pain is
factored in where appropriate.
6. Service models based on local
Accepted
Service models should be based on
HSCB/PHA
population needs should be in place
assessed need and supported through the
across Northern Ireland.
commissioning process.
Improvement of long term (chronic) pain
services to be taken forward through
commissioning arrangements. The scoping
exercise of long term (chronic) pain services
included in the 2014/15 Commissioning Plan
will inform future service delivery.
7. Patients should be offered a range of
Accepted
The Department acknowledges the need to
DHSSPS
pain management care and support
improve access to patient education
HSCB/PHA
programmes including supported self-
programmes to support self management.
management.
Work is already being taken forward to
progress the Programme for Government
commitment on access to patient
education/self management programmes and
in work to support implementation of the LTC
Policy Framework. Progress on this will
depend on the availability of the appropriate
resources to deliver patient education
programmes, including both financial
resources and personnel with the necessary
skills and training to deliver programmes. In
the 12/13 data audit of patient education
programmes those programmes for people
with long term (chronic) pain have been
separately identified where this is possible.
8. The role of mainstream alternative
Not Accepted
As a result of the budgetary pressures facing
therapies should be reviewed specifically
the Department it is not possible to allocate
for support and help for those people
resources to the provision of complementary
living with long-term pain.
and alternative medicines services in order to
DHSSPS
protect vital front line services.
9. An integrated Northern Ireland cross-
Not Accepted
Whilst recognising that there is scope for
DHSSPS
departmental strategy to manage chronic
improvement in pain services across NI, the
HSCB/PHA
pain is needed to allow people to
Department views the LTC Policy Framework
manage their pain and to empower them
is a suitable vehicle for improving services for
to lead full and active lives.
people with long term (chronic) pain whilst
the draft 2014/15 Commissioning Plan
includes a proposed scoping exercise for
pain services which should inform future
service development.
It is proposed to write to the Department’s
Senior Management Team to highlight the
need to ensure that where DHSSPS officials
liaise with other departments on the
development of cross cutting policies and
strategies; issues and implications relating to
long term conditions including long term
(chronic) pain should be considered as part of
the policy/strategy development process.
10. Information resources for patients,
Accepted
As per Recommendation 2 above. Through a
clients, carers and their relatives affected
scoping exercise identify need for information
by long term pain should be developed to
resources for patients, clients, carers and
help people understand, make decisions
their relatives affected by long term (chronic)
about and cope with long-term pain.
pain in consultation with the P&CC and the
PANI to ensure that information provided is
informed by the experience of service users.
HSCB/PHA