Living Well With Pain

Improving the outcomes of patients by improving the management of chronic non cancer pain by reducing harm from opioids

As part of our Medicines Safety Improvement Programme led by NHS England, we worked with Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) ICS to implement the whole systems approach to high-risk opioid prescribing change package.

The team scoped existing services across the county and worked with staff, partners such as the Live Well With Pain organisation and people with lived experience of pain to develop a new Pain Management Programme.

The facilitated peer support programme is being rolled out across the county to help participants to live better with their pain and use effective self-management strategies – which may also lead to a reduction in their pain medication.

By the end of March 2024 we were working collaboratively with two of our ICSs (Lincolnshire and Derbyshire) to collectively reduce the number of people prescribed oral or transdermal opioids (of any dose) for more than three months.

We estimate that for every 62 people who stop (or do not start) an opioid, one life will be saved. For patients receiving high dose opioids – mortality can be halved if they move to a lower dose.

Enabling further rollout

A resources pack was developed to help other practices and PCNs to establish the need for and set up, similar clinics.

Feedback from group attendees has been extremely positive.

We would like to thank Lister House Surgery, Joined up Care Derbyshire and Live Well with Pain for working in partnership with Health Innovation East Midlands to develop and promote this pain management programme.

Learn more about reducing harm from opiods

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Impacts

The number of patients prescribed opioids for more than three months duration and those receiving high dose opioids have both reduced in the ICSs we are working with – before the programme started, they were seeing a year-on-year increase.

70 stakeholders registered for an online event to shape the work undertaken by Joined up Care Derbyshire with our support.

From a small start of one pain support programme in JUCD, there are now eight well-established and still growing groups – with another planned for 2024-2025. The groups take place in local venues and use existing workforce capacity more effectively across the county.

Working with Derby County Community Trust has increased engagement and reach beyond those we could usually contact.

The pain management group and the Social Prescribers that run it are fantastic. They have given us a safe and supportive environment which is very informative and helpful.