Pain Management Panel consultations: report

Executive Summary

Chronic pain is pain that is persistent, lasting beyond normal healing times, or recurring for over three months. While chronic pain can present alongside other conditions, it may also develop on its own and can affect many aspects of day to day life, including mental health, employment, sleep and relationships. People with chronic pain are more likely to report lower life satisfaction and poorer quality of life compared to those without chronic pain.

It is understood the impact of chronic pain is felt unequally in society. A range of factors appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing chronic pain, including demographics such as age, ethnicity and socio-economic group, as well as other psychological and clinical factors.

The Scottish Government’s 2020 Programme for Government included creation of a new Framework to assist those living with chronic pain. In 2021, the draft Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery was developed and following public consultation, the final Framework for Pain Management – Implementation Plan was published in July 2022.

In August 2022, The Lines Between were commissioned to recruit, support and engage a diverse cross-section of people with chronic pain across Scotland to inform implementation of the Framework. With support from recruitment agency Taylor Mackenzie, a diverse panel of 16 individuals was assembled.

Panel members were consulted twice between August and September 2022 through focus groups and one-to-one interviews.

The panel shared their experiences of accessing support and services, the challenges and barriers they face, and the treatments and aspects of care which make them feel more in control of their pain.

Primary care services were viewed as the most useful and important source of support among most members of the panel, while the biggest barrier to accessing support was the focus on painkillers over other pain management methods.