Chronic Pain Service

The NHS Lanarkshire Chronic Pain Service aims to assist patients to live as well as possible with their chronic pain, where the focus is on:-

• Reducing their pain as much as is possible
• Helping people to learn to live with their pain and improve their quality of life as much as possible

This will be done by:      

• Facilitating patient self management
• Multidisciplinary team working
• Providing outpatient services
• Providing patient centred care
• Underpinning our recommendations with evidence based practice and guidelines

Our promise to patients

We will carry out an assessment of your pain (multidisciplinary where necessary) and will create an individual management plan taking into account your individual circumstances.

The management plan will be based on treatment of the ‘whole person’, focusing not only on the pain but the impact of the pain on the quality of your life.

In return we expect patients to fully engage in their own jointly agreed management plan.

Failure to attend one part of the service will result in discharge from the whole service. Patients will be able to opt out of parts of the service that are not for them as long as this is communicated and agreed in advance.

NHS Lanarkshire Attendance Policy

It is really important that you attend your scheduled appointments or let us know in advance if you cannot attend. Regular treatment along with you carrying out your agreed management plan is known to be the most effective approach to managing and improving your condition.

Missed or wasted appointments increase the waiting time for other patients who need our help and support. If you feel unable to attend your scheduled appointments please discuss this with your consultant.

• If you fail to attend for your appointment you will not be contacted to arrange another. If you do not contact us within 14 days of your failed appointment, you will be discharged from the service.
• Any requests for re-referral will result in your name being placed at the bottom of the waiting list.
• Failing to attend or cancelling two appointments out of the first four appointments will result in discharge.
• Over the course of treatment, if you fail to attend or cancel two appointments in a row, you will be discharged from the service.

The Lanarkshire Chronic Pain Service is based in the Buchanan Centre with other parts of the service located in other locations in Lanarkshire.

The list below gives the type of service and its location:-

• Pain assessment clinics – Buchanan Centre and University Hospital Wishaw
• A Mindfulness for Pain Course – Douglas Street Health Centre Hamilton
• Individual therapy with a clinical psychologist that takes a broad third wave therapy approach – Buchanan Centre
• Individual Physiotherapy appointments which follows a Pain Rehabilitation approach – Buchanan Centre
• The Pain Management Programme (PMP) – Douglas Street Health Centre Hamilton
• Various Procedures are carried out in University Hospital Wishaw
• The Pain Association Scotland hold Monthly sessions in Coatbridge, Wishaw and East Kilbride

Pain Association Meetings

• Coatbridge Community Centre, 9 Old Monkland Road, Coatbridge, ML5 5EA (Next to St Andrews High School)
• Blacklaw Primary Community Wing, Glen Arroch, East Kilbride, G74 2BP
• Houldsworth Centre Community Library Kenilworth Avenue, Wishaw, ML2 7LA

For further information about Lanarkshire groups visit: http://www.painassociation.com/1-2/glasgow-and-the-west-groups/