Professionals in partnership to beat pain

Health Minister Edwin Poots, was speaking at the Northern Ireland Pain Summit in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast. He said: “Northern Ireland is reported as having the highest prevalence of chronic pain in the UK with almost one in five people suffering. It is the main contributor to the annual cost of medically related benefits and long-term sick leave in Northern Ireland.

“Today’s Pain Summit provides an opportunity to raise awareness of chronic pain and define what needs to be done to deliver improvements for sufferers. Government, clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry, patient support groups and commissioners all have a role to play to improve the care of chronic pain sufferers through the application of evidence based treatments and care pathways.”

The one day summit, organised by the Pain Alliance of Northern Ireland (PANI), was attended by General Practitioners, Consultants, Allied Health Professionals and nurses from both primary and secondary care, voluntary sector and community organisations, patients support groups and healthcare commissioners.

Also attending the event the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, he said: “This event is very timely and provides an opportunity, at a time of significant change in health and social care in Northern Ireland, to ensure that we all work in partnership to raise professional knowledge and work together to improve the quality of services for people living with chronic pain.”

The Minister concluded: “We have an opportunity, through the implementation of a number of key policies which are highly relevant to chronic pain, to deliver improvements. I hope that today’s summit will be a driver for change and I look forward to seeing this happen.”