The number of people who need support to manage chronic pain, or are waiting for a diagnosis or surgery, is growing. In the two years following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a 27% increase in patients prescribed opioid pain relief medication for longer than three months, increasing the risk of long-term dependence, which is closely linked with increased deaths.

It is estimated that for every 62 patients with chronic pain who can be supported with alternatives to long-term pain relief medication, one life can be saved.

Unchecked, an estimated 6,000 people a year will be hospitalised across England, resulting from taking opioids for extended periods, impacting across multiple areas of NHS and social care services. Therefore, a whole systems approach was needed to bring key areas of the health system together.

A community driven, whole system approach

We supported the Joined Up Care Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Integrated Care Boards to improve management of chronic non-cancer pain and reduce harm from long-term opioid use.

Recognising chronic pain requires more than medication; the approach was centred on personalised care, shared decision-making, and access to care that did not rely on prescribing medicines.

We mapped current provision, co-designed clinical guidance and patient-facing resources, and expanded access to community-based pain support.

Learn more about reducing harm from opiods