HIEM has supported Derbyshire’s health system to review its new pain management groups.

The recent report reviews the impact of the 21 chronic pain support groups in the area. The groups are based on the ‘Lets Live Well With Pain Programme’ that has been developed locally, grounded in the ten footsteps approach by Live Well with Pain (LWWP).

The groups are all based in the community rather than in hospital and have all been adapted to suit their local area needs. 

 The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with them appreciating the power of meeting informally as a group to discuss their experiences and learn different techniques and approaches to managing pain from expert facilitators:

“I’m not sure I’d still be alive if it wasn’t for this group. I didn’t previously go out and struggled with mental health, but this group made me realise I am worthy – it saved me. The group of people showed me I’m not alone and have no judgement towards me.”

Highlights included in the review are:

• Participants reported benefits such as reduced prescribing, reduced need to access other healthcare services, supporting increased independence with the possibility of increasing employment capability, and improved overall quality of life.
• Content of the sessions was flexible and engaging; interaction and peer support was encouraged.
• The groups were run by existing healthcare teams and the locations of the groups were easily accessible.
• The value of the partnership with Derby County Community Trust (the charitable arm of Derby County Football Club) which runs the pain support groups in Derby City.

HIEM, Senior Improvement Lead, Kate Hardiman said: “The review aimed to understand what works well for these groups, what can be improved, and to understand what the participants feel about the support they provide.

“Feedback from participants was extremely positive and the need for groups such as this was clear.

“The report highlights how group leaders could better evidence their impact for future business cases by using data tools consistently across groups.

“We hope that the findings will support shared learning and further adoption of the pain support programme to other areas in JUCD and beyond.”

This work is part of a broader piece of work within Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) that is being supported by Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) that aims to improve the management of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and reduce harm from opioids.

More details on how to set up your own pain management groups and use the data tools can be found on our website. For more details contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.