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Better support for people suffering from chronic pain |
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Monday, 21 July 2008 |
New plans to provide better services
for the thousands of people in Wales who suffer from chronically painful
conditions such as arthritis and serious back pain were issued today (Thursday,
19 June) by the Welsh Assembly Government Health Minister Edwina Hart.
Such conditions – termed chronic
non-malignant pain (CNMP) – can affect anyone at any age and from any social
background with evidence suggesting that some forms of chronic pain are more
prevalent in poorer areas.
One in four people with chronic pain report losing a job due to the barriers
presented by their condition, one in five say their pain is so bad they want to
die and a quarter have been diagnosed with depression because of their
condition.
If even 10 per cent of the population had such pain every day there would be
over two billion days of suffering in the UK – 30-40 days of pain for everyone.
In 2002, over 4 per cent of the working population in the UK was on
incapacity benefit, at a cost of ₤6.7bn. It is estimated that around one
quarter of those were provided with incapacity benefit due to chronic pain
conditions, mainly of the musculoskeletal system, including severe back pain.
Living with CNMP can affect individuals in a number of ways. As well as coping
with physical pain, the pain experience can have a dramatic impact on
self-esteem, social relationships, employment opportunities and personal
finances.
The new plans will mean:
- earlier
assessment, diagnosis and management of painful conditions;
- more
patient-centred services – planning and delivering services around the
needs of the patient
- individuals
will be supported to fully understand and cope more effectively with their
conditions to help them get on with their daily lives and routines, and
where appropriate return to work.
- pain
will be managed more effectively in community and primary care settings to
help ensure that services are provided closer to people’s homes
- fully
engaging the skills and experiences of a wide range of appropriate health
and social care professionals to ensure the individual’s journey through
the care system is clearly mapped out and actively supported
The Minster for Health and Social
Services, Mrs Edwina Hart said:
Chronic pain conditions such as back
pain and arthritis are some of the most common and most debilitating conditions
affecting people in Wales, impacting upon the everyday lives of individuals in
devastating ways.
The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to ensuring that services are more
patient-centred and delivered closer to people’s homes wherever appropriate,
enabling individuals to live their daily lives more easily.
This plan will help to ensure that pain services are improved across Wales,
enabling people living with chronic pain to positively manage their pain
experience, return to work wherever possible and live more independently,
while also helping to reduce the wider economic costs to society.
Said Ann Taylor of the Welsh Pain
Society:
Managing these conditions calls for
the input of a range of professionals as well as the support of the voluntary
sector and other public services.
Research has shown that if patients are well managed in the initial phase of
their pain with the appropriate care, then significant reductions in chronic
pain can be made, helping to alleviate individual suffering and the financial
burden so often associated with chronic pain.
Original Pressrelease can be found here
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