Tag: chronic pain

Holyrood report: Employers should invest in mental wellbeing services and flexible working policies

Mental health and chronic pain are having the most significant impact on economic inactivity rates in Scotland, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee.

The report considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scotland’s labour market, looking specifically at long-term illness and early retirement as drivers of economic inactivity.

The Committee found that although the pandemic has not significantly impacted economic inactivity in Scotland, it has clearly highlighted the extent to which a healthy working-age population is required to sustain a healthy economy.

The Committee heard that implementing remote and/or flexible working practices may improve employees’ wellbeing, bring more people into the labour market, including disabled people and people with chronic or mental illness, and support older workers to remain in the labour market for longer.

However, evidence from employers highlighted that many employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, require additional support to implement flexible working and improve reasonable adjustment policies.

The report expresses disappointment that due to budgetary pressures, the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Centre for Workplace Transformation’, which would seek to embed some of the learning gained from the pandemic, was not delivered on target in 2022.

Additionally, the Committee noted that best practice from wrap-around employability services, like the Fair Start Scotland programme, which provides tailored support to get working-aged people who are disengaged from the labour market back into employment, should be shared across all of Scotland’s local authorities.

Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee, Siobhian Brown MSP, said: “Whilst our report found the pandemic has not had a significant impact on economic inactivity levels, issues such as poor mental health and chronic illnesses, are part of the complex challenges to Scotland’s economic and social recovery from COVID-19.

“Increased partnership working between the Scottish Government and employers to support investment in employees’ wellbeing and embedding post-pandemic opportunities for flexible working is crucial to supporting more people into the labour market.

“Remote and flexible working practices could also support more disabled people and those living with chronic health or mental health conditions into the workforce, whilst also enabling older people to stay in the labour market for longer.

“It’s important that as a priority, the Scottish Government sets out what additional support it is providing for employers to develop practical resources to support the adoption of flexible working policies and share best practice, which are vital to improving Scotland’s economic activity levels.”

ROAD-TO-RECOVERY-reportDownload

“I felt like I was hitting my head off a brick wall” – Edinburgh PE teacher’s seven-year battle with chronic pain

Experts come together to support the one in five Scots with persistent pain

Stacey Wilson has never been one to shy away from a challenge – competing for Scotland in throwing sports and athletics up until the age of 23 – but the PE teacher from Edinburgh didn’t expect to face her hardest one at age 27, when debilitating back pain changed her life forever.

Immediately after giving birth to her daughter Sadie, now seven, Stacey began experiencing excruciating pain in her back. The ‘flare-ups’, as she refers to them, last between four and six weeks and have blighted Stacey’s life ever since, resulting in hospitalisation, expensive healthcare treatments, time off work and her even having to learn to walk again.

Most traumatising for the mother of two is the impact her pain has had on her children.

Stacey recalls: “My back pain started straight after having my daughter, despite having a really healthy pregnancy. It meant I couldn’t fully enjoy being a new mother as I was in constant pain, very fatigued and had continual brain fog.

“After having my little boy, Clark, four years ago, I also remember being blue-lighted to the hospital in agony. He was just a few months old, and I was waiting for 10 hours to be seen, expressing breast milk in the hospital cubicle and then being told to ‘go home and make an appointment with my doctor for the morning.’

“I couldn’t move and had to be lifted and laid down in the back of my dad’s cab to be taken home – it was an horrific experience that has stayed with me to this day.”

Despite being proactive about her health and paying out thousands of pounds on private healthcare treatments, including cupping and acupuncture, Stacey was frustrated she wasn’t being listened to. “I felt like I was hitting my head off a brick wall,” she explains. “I asked to join a pain management programme three times to try and regain some control, but I kept being rejected for a place – with no feedback about why.”

After eventually getting onto a pain management programme, the 34-year-old from Gilmerton hasn’t had a severe flare-up in four years.

Stacey now manages her pain with tried and tested techniques and coping strategies including Pilates and regular physiotherapy sessions.

She is sharing her story in a bid to help others like her, who live with chronic pain. Chronic or persistent pain affects 20% of Scots and is defined as pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks, despite medication or treatment.

Running in February and March, people from across Scotland will have the opportunity to get advice, guidance and hear real-life stories about living with chronic pain from world-leading pain experts, panels of people who live with it and specialist health professionals, through a series of free-to-attend events.

The events – designed specifically for those affected by persistent pain – will be delivered as live webinars which can be watched back by those who are unable to attend on the day.

Led by the Flippin’ Pain™ public health movement in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, the series is one of 13 Scottish Government-funded projects made available via the Chronic Pain Winter Support Fund. They aim to improve access to care and deliver better health outcomes for people with chronic pain in Scotland.

Internationally acclaimed pain scientist and the world’s leading pain educator, Professor Lorimer Moseley, will lead the first event: ‘Rethinking Pain:  new understanding and new possibilities.’

Professor Moseley spearheads the ‘Pain Revolution’ movement throughout Australia, has 300 published research articles, is author of six books and presented a series of Ted X Talks, putting him at the forefront of thinking in contemporary pain science.

Chronic pain can affect many aspects of day-to-day life and can be associated with depression, anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues. People with chronic pain are also more likely to report lower life satisfaction and poorer quality of life compared to those without the condition.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd explains: “Living with chronic pain is extremely challenging, which is why the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring patients can access the support they need, when they need it.

“We are running a public consultation on a new Framework for Pain Management Services with the aim of improving the care and quality of life for people with chronic pain.

“I am pleased to see projects like this one, funded through our Chronic Pain Winter Support Fund, to boost the support available for people with chronic pain to help them maintain their health and wellbeing over the months ahead.”

Richard Pell, campaign director for Flippin’ Pain™ concludes: “Understanding pain is so important. Our understanding of pain – why it’s there, why it behaves the way it does and why it sometimes doesn’t go away – influence what we do about it and even how it feels.

“Many long-held beliefs about pain are hugely out of step with modern scientific understanding. People deserve better. People are suffering more than they should, losing control and seeing their quality of life deteriorate.

“I urge people living with pain, their friends and family too, to engage with the events and to do so with an open mind. Flipping your understanding of pain won’t take pain away overnight – but with time it can be transformative and has been the first step on the road to recovery for many.”

Flippin’ Pain™. Its ‘Why rethinking pain really matters’ webinar services includes:

  • Event one: 15th February 2022, 10am, ‘Rethinking Pain: new understanding and new possibilities.’
  • Event two: 2nd March 2022, 5pm, ‘Why everything matters when it comes to pain.’
  • Event three: 23rd March 2022, 12pm, ‘Flippin’ everything you thought you knew about arthritis.’

All events can be watched back, on-demand.

For more information including booking a place for the events visit the News & Events page at www.flippinpain.co.uk

Annie Lennox backs call to reopen chronic pain clinics

Annie Lennox has called for action over the “intolerable” suffering of chronic pain patients during lockdown. Annie said it’s “indecent and inhumane to leave people to suffer”.   

She was referring to the continuing closure of NHS specialist pain clinics.  While many patients get by on medication, some depend on regular treatment at NHS specialist clinics. These closed almost three months ago, with some staff diverted to Covid-19 duties, now lessening.

She personally suffers from “excruciating” neuralgic pain. This comes in occasional agonising bouts – but Annie highlighted the plight of other sufferers needing clinics frequently.

The international star, originally from Aberdeen, responded to patient concerns from Scotland where some patients -whose NHS treatments ran out during lockdown-were in such desperate agony that a few have been driven by relatives to England for infusions.

They paid around £800 for private infusions they couldn’t afford normally and the 500 mile return journeys were “torture” for their conditions. Private as well as NHS pain clinics stopped services in Scotland.

Annie wrote: “As a long-term chronic pain sufferer, I understand only too well what it feels like to go through hours or days with extreme physical discomfort.  

‘Without medication or clinical treatment, life becomes torturous and untenable.

In the U.K, millions of people suffer.  

Some rely on having regular access to pain reduction treatment, but due to the Covid 19 lockdown situation, NHS chronic pain clinics have been closed for months with no word yet on when they will re-open, which is sought urgently In Scotland in particular.

Will years of complaints over waiting times and underfunding continue to be ignored?

Unlike the barbarism of the Middle Ages – in the 21st century, it should be considered indecent and inhumane to leave people to suffer intolerable pain without their usual relief, while we actually do have the means to treat it. 

I very much hope this situation can be taken seriously and responded to as soon as possible.”

Annie Lennox OBE. 

Normally, returning patients visit Scotland’s NHS pain clinics over 40,000 times a year. Some need treatments every five to six weeks, others require different help and specialist advice.

Injections are currently barred if they contain steroids which could be harmful if a patient later develops Covid-19.

But infusion drips of the pain drug Lignocaine are free of steroids – and patients have appealed for these to be resumed urgently and a date set  for re-opening.  Other types of infusions have happened in Scotland during lockdown – but not for chronic pain.

Apart from around 40,000 visits by return patients to NHS Scottish pain clinics, there are over 20,000 new chronic pain patients in Scotland annually. That’s a fraction of the 800,000 suffering  (40,000 visits does not mean entirely 40,000 patients as some need treatment several times)

Annie sent support to the Scottish Parliament’s patient-run Cross-Party Group  on chronic and two charities also run by patients, Affa Sair in Moray and Grampian and Action on Pain UK.

All three groups have been outspoken critics of long-term lack of help for pain sufferers and thanked Annie for her “compassionate and uplifting outreach to patients” whose suffering was often overlooked.

Christopher Bridgeford, the voluntary chair of the 550 patient charity Affa Sair said: “I very much welcome and applaud Annie’s statement. It has been an agonising situation  since the decision to halt pain clinic treatments for those who depend on them.

“Medication doesn’t work for all.  For some, only those clinic visits tackle really terrible levels of pain through infusions.  Many  find it very hard to speak about their plight. For this international star and much respected activist to make her struggles with pain so public speaks of a very courageous and inspiring lady.

“I hope her words encourage the Scottish Government to ensure that full Pain Clinic services are restarted soon and staffing given proper funding in future”

Ian Semmons, patient chair of Action on Pain UK said: “Annie has given a strong and powerful message that cannot be ignored. She has spoken for those who suffer too much in silence.  Chronic pain patients have for years been overlooked by Governments everywhere. 

“But Action on Pain has long been very worried about Scotland and the shortage of funding for NHS chronic pain clinics and their hard-worked staff. They are funded  like a Cinderella service when they can even save some from suicide.

“Waiting times for new patients have soared from almost 90% being seen on time nine years ago to only 60.5% in 2019, before the virus emergency. The Scottish Government has dealt with chronic pain by setting up ineffective talking shops, meeting behind closed doors, not open to the public. Urgent action is needed”

Last year, Annie wrote of suffering excruciating pain for over ten years. It comes in bouts – not involved with regular treatment:

“Over a decade ago, I had to have a back operation and a lot of things changed after that. Long story.. but I occasionally suffer from excruciating nerve pain, which comes in with a vengeance when I least expect it.  It has given me an insight as to what others have to deal with … far more or less than this. My gratitude when it dies down is immeasurable.”

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary and co-chair of the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain said: “I totally agree with Annie Lennox and welcome her intervention around the negative impact the lockdown has had on chronic pain patients across Scotland.  

“For chronic pain patients across Scotland every week the lockdown continues is yet more time that chronic pain patients suffer unbelievable agony and distress.

“Over the last thirteen years SNP Ministers haven’t taken chronic pain patients’ seriously – ignoring their concerns and needs and failing to improve access to pain management clinics and treatments.

“It is clear we need to see SNP Ministers restart services for chronic pain sufferers as soon as possible but we also need to see an acknowledgment from SNP Ministers that even before this public health emergency chronic pain patients across Scotland were being failed.

“As we come out of lockdown it presents an opportunity for us to radically reform the way services are run and accessed by chronic pain patient.

“Chronic pain patients’ want to see a step change in Scotland to help deliver for chronic pain patients and their families.”

Find out more https://www.affasair.org & http://www.action-on-pain.co.uk

Less than 1% of NHS waiting time funding spent on chronic pain

Only £333,000 out of £51.6 million being used to reduce chronic pain waiting times in Scotland

Research by the Scottish Conservatives has revealed that only £333,000 out of £51.6 million of funding set aside to reduce waiting times has been used for chronic pain – less than 1%. Continue reading Less than 1% of NHS waiting time funding spent on chronic pain