New chronic pain service
Users of NHS Lanarkshire’s newly revamped Chronic Pain Service claim it has made a huge difference to their lives.
The service was expanded in May this year when two extra clinics were made available for sufferers of chronic pain.
As well as delight with the diagnosis and treatment of their particular condition, early feedback from patients indicates they are also delighted that the new clinics are easier to access.
Up until recently, many Lanarkshire patients who suffered from chronic pain were referred to Glasgow for treatment. However NHS Lanarkshire developed and expanded the service within the county to allow patients to be treated locally.
The one exception to this is patients who require highly specialised services such as spinal cord stimulators or specialised drug delivery, who will continue to be treated in Glasgow.
Of the two new additional services, one will be based in Monklands Hospital outpatients’ area, and the other in the Day Surgery Unit in Wishaw Hospital.
They will supplement the established Dr Simpson’s Pain Clinic at Blantyre and the existing chronic pain services run from Wishaw General Hospital.
The changes will not only relieve the pressure on secondary care within NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, but bring the service closer to the patient.
One of those to benefit from the new service is Catherine Anderson, 43, from Coatbridge.
The Edzell Street, woman said her back pain deteriorated so severely over a three year period that she was unable to sit down and was often forced to crawl on her hands and knees to get around her house.
Mrs Anderson said: “There were times when I had to lie over a bean bag to get any kind of relief.
“At best, I constantly had to sit on my side with a pile of cushions to support my back to ease the pain.”
During this time Mrs Anderson received a variety of treatments such as heat treatment, physiotherapy and acupuncture which had no effect.
Catherine said: “My GP referred me to Dr Sabu James, (Consultant in Anaesthesia and Chronic Pain at Monklands Hospital).
“After my initial consultation, I was admitted to the day surgery unit and had an injection to the base of my spine which made a massive difference.
“I still have pain but it’s nothing like it was before.
“Similarly, I still have restrictions but again they’re not as severe.
“For example, I can sit again.”
Having the clinic in Monklands also made a huge difference to Catherine. She continued: “If I had to travel outside Lanarkshire my husband would have had to take a day off work to get me too and from any appointment.
“However, with the clinic in Monklands – while he still has to take me – he is able to get to his work and come back to collect me which means he has less time off.
“As I’ll have to go back in the future, it’s handy having the clinic so close.”
Another to hail the service is Joan Steel, 68, from Lanark. Joan started to develop back pain three years ago which eventually led to her being unable to do routine tasks like housework without taking breaks.
She also had to give up playing bowls which was a major disappointment to the Lanark Thistle Bowling Club member.
The former Bellfield Hospital worker said: “I was effectively miserable for two years with this, and although some of the pain is still there following the treatment, it is a vast improvement on what it was before.
“I can now do basic things like wash my windows and the vacuuming and more importantly, it means I can get back playing bowls again.”
She continued: “When I retired I thought I was going to get lots more ‘me’ time but this condition put paid to a lot of that.
“However, this treatment has given me it back and I can’t praise the service highly enough for it.”
Dr Sabu James said: “The decision to develop the service was taken exactly to benefit people like Mrs Steel and Mrs Anderson.
“It was individuals like them who the Lanarkshire Health Survey showed were living with pain to the point that it interfered with their normal life.
“The survey showed that 26 per cent of Lanarkshire’s adult population were affected in this way.
“This means an estimated 120,000 people in Lanarkshire could live with pain with 12,000 of these moderately to severely disabled by pain.”
He added: “I and my team are delighted that so many of them are saying the new service is benefiting them.”