Committee hears of silent suffering of thousands who live with chronic pain

Wednesday 9 January 2013

HUNDREDS of thousands of people are suffering in silence from chronic pain, campaigners have warned MSPs.

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Holyrood's Public Petitions Committee has been told that services to help patients with the problem were inadequate and lacked funding.

The committee was considering a petition submitted by Susan Archibald, who has suffered from chronic pain for 13 years.

Ms Archibald's petition calls for radical improvements to the current system, including the establishment of a residential unit in Scotland, the transfer of more management of chronic pain into primary care, a greater focus on a social rather than medical model of care, and a full debate in Parliament.Ms Archibald told the committee: "There are so many people across the country that suffer from chronic pain. "It is something that you can't see. It is the most debilitating thing that can happen to you."She added: "There are so many folk across society that doctors and nurses haven't helped – not for the want of trying. "They have never had access to specialist pain services, they have never had access to chronic pain management."MSPs were told that a lack of residential services in Scotland and shortages in local day clinic services meant patients had to travel to Bath and Somerset for treatment.Campaigner Dorothy-Grace Elder, a former Nationalist MSP, in giving evidence to the committee, said: "It is screamingly clear we should have an inpatient service [in Scotland]. Such a ridiculous situation cannot go on.Ms Elder told the committee £1.1 million had been spent in the last three years sending 119 patients to the centre in Bath, with one patient making a 1600-mile round trip from Shetland.She also said 10 out of 14 health boards do not fund dedicated chronic pain services."These services are in a double bind. No money from any of the health boards, so they have to beg and borrow from other departments, and no money from Government," she said. "It is preposterous."The committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, the British Medical Association and other relevant organisations.

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Committee hears of silent suffering of thousands who live with chronic pain

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