We are working with providers across Derbyshire to deliver ESCAPE-pain, a rehabilitation programme for people with osteoarthritis which causes chronic joint pain, virtually to support the continuation of vital services safely during the pandemic.

Osteoarthritis affects around 8.75 million people in the UK and is a limiting condition for many that suffer with it. ESCAPE-pain is a group rehabilitation programme, which integrates self-management and coping strategies with an exercise regimen individualised for each participant. It helps people understand their condition, teaches them simple things they can help themselves with, and takes them through a progressive exercise programme so they learn how to cope with pain better.

Feedback from health care professionals that offer the programme and from patients is extremely positive, with many patients detailing the significant impact taking part in the programme has had on their lives by helping them to successfully manage their pain.

ESCAPE-pain is normally delivered face-to-face and as a result has been paused by many providers to prevent risk of the further spread of coronavirus. However, Derbyshire providers are some of the first in the country taking steps to offer the programme virtually in order to continue this valuable support for their patients.

Patients who are referred to the virtual service will attend online groups sessions twice a week for six weeks. Sessions consist of 20 minutes of education and discussions about pain and pain management and 40 minutes of guided exercise.

University of Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and Derby City Council’s Livewell service have now switched their in-person sessions to online. Physiotherapists at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust completed virtual training during the coronavirus outbreak on how to deliver the programme. They will offer ESCAPE-pain to people across Derbyshire County, beginning with High Peak and Dales, Chesterfield and North East, Amber Valley and Erewash and potentially spread to further sites across the county in following months to increase coverage.

Nicole McGlennon, East Midlands AHSN Managing Director said “So many services have understandably come to a pause because of COVID-19 to protect patients from the risk of infection. I am thrilled that we have enabled our partners in Derbyshire to offer the ESCAPE-pain programme virtually and hope that other providers will consider if this approach would also work for their patients.”

Susan Buckley, Acting General Manager, Outpatient Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and MSK Services at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust said “It was important for us to do everything we could to continue to offer quality care for our patients, so we worked with the ESCAPE-pain team who provided us with virtual training to deliver the programme. We saw this as a great opportunity to continue to safely offer education and support to people with osteoarthritis in a group setting. We are really looking forward to delivering the programme and working with patients in this new virtual format, to improve their quality of life.”

We are also working with other providers to support their transition to delivering ESCAPE-pain virtually. As well as working with providers who don’t currently offer the programme to deliver and implement ESCAPE-pain online to reach more people across the East Midlands.

Find out more about ESCAPE-pain.