Our Achievements

Providing faster access to better community chronic pain services

Chronic pain is a pain that lasts longer than 3 months, or lasts a lot longer than the typical time expected for recovery from an injury or illness.

Ordinary painkillers and treatments can stop working over time, leaving patients in a lot of discomfort.

Living with chronic pain, pain without purpose, and perhaps without end, can cause many problems. These include poor appetite, insomnia, and depression. These conditions make it more difficult to deal with the pain and may also magnify it.

However, there are effective, specialist treatments available for chronic pain, such as injections and nerve blocks. The GP Consortium has been working with Sheffield’s specialist pain clinics at the Manor Park Centre, the Northern General Hospital and Claremont Hospital to promote and support improved community chronic pain services, providing quick and effective access to these treatments for our patients.

Fact and figures:

• One in seven people live with chronic pain – 20 per cent of these have had it for more than 20 years
• Two-thirds of chronic pain suffers feel their pain is not adequately treated

Useful websites:

www.painmanagementsolutions.co.uk has information sheets about medications and treatments.

www.britishpainsociety.org/patient_home.htm - good source of frequently asked questions, with good links to support and further information

www.action-on-pain.co.uk - a charity providing support and advice for people living with chronic pain.