Our outpatient service offers support for patients with long term chronic pain. The IPMS consists of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and psychologists who all specialise in pain management. You may be seen by one or more of our specialist team as we support you through your pain management journey.
Living with long-term pain can be very challenging. We strongly believe that every person living with chronic pain has a right to the best education, advice and treatment available. Long-term, chronic pain often cannot be cured, however pain can be made easier to manage. Management is easier with a package of strategies to help with symptom control.
During sessions within the pain team we will help you learn the necessary skills to assist you to develop expertise in self-management. Developing your knowledge and understanding of persistent pain enables pain and symptoms to be managed more effectively.
We provide a number of different treatments, which are briefly outlined below.
Types of treatment you may be offered
Persistent pain can affect mood, activity levels, sleep, confidence, work and social life. Our lifestyle management sessions teach established techniques you can use in your daily life. We offer sessions individually, in small groups, or via video conferencing. Topics include:
Understanding pain
Diet, nutrients and pain
Sleep and relaxation
Pain medication and opioid medication
Mind-body connections
Good health – work and exercise
Improving function (following physiotherapy)
You will also receive a helpful resource list to support your self-management journey.
TENS therapy uses a small, portable device that produces a gentle tingling sensation through adhesive pads on the skin. It helps block pain signals from reaching the brain and can be a useful part of pain management.
Pain can make it hard to move certain parts of the body, leading to stiffness, weakness and more pain. Physiotherapy helps by providing:
Advice on exercise, movement, stretching and posture
Specific treatments tailored to your needs
Even if you have previously tried physiotherapy, we may offer more targeted options to help reduce disability and improve mobility.
Chronic pain can impact emotional wellbeing and relationships. We offer therapies to help with the emotional and practical challenges of pain, including:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Hypnotherapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Your specialist may refer you for a psychological assessment to see if this would benefit you.
You may be referred to a clinical nurse specialist for a review of your medications, either face-to-face or by telephone.
We may recommend:
Pain-relieving drugs (analgesics)
Medications that help improve sleep, reduce skin sensitivity, or decrease pain flare-ups
Full information about any recommended medication will be provided during your consultation.
Nerve blocks involve injections to help identify and treat the source of your pain. They are usually carried out as a day case procedure and involve:
Written information provided before treatment
A follow-up questionnaire to assess the benefits
Guidance on physiotherapy and exercise afterwards to maximise effectiveness
Your pain specialist will advise if a nerve block is suitable for your condition.
We recognise that our waiting times are currently long. While you wait for your appointment, please visit our patient resources and patient stories sections for information and support.
Contact the pain management team
You can contact the pain management team on 01284 713580 or 01284 713766, if you have any queries or follow up on current care. These numbers can be used for both inpatient and outpatient queries.
If you are not yet a patient of the service, then you are welcome to contact us to ask questions or find out more, but you cannot refer yourself to the service. You will need your GP, hospital consultant, or the back and neck service to make a referral on your behalf.
Dr Marcia Schofield, associate pain medicine specialist
Dr Louise Jeynes, consultant anaesthetist and pain medicine
Dr Simon Law, consultant in pain medicine
Dr Jane Sturgess, consultant in pain medicine
Dr Josie Galpin, clinical psychologist
Paula Carnaby, mental health nurse specialist
We also have a team of nurse specialists, and two specialised physiotherapists.
Attending the pain management clinic
When your appointment is booked, your clinic letter will explain what you need to bring with you.
Please remember to:
Bring your glasses if you need them for reading.
Bring a list of all your current medications, including tablets, patches, alternative medications and herbal remedies.
Let a member of staff know if you are taking blood-thinning medication such as Warfarin or Clopidogrel.
Tell a member of staff if there is any chance you could be pregnant.
Important information about your appointment
Most treatments are carried out as an outpatient day case.
Minor procedures may sometimes be carried out during your Pain Clinic visit.
You should expect to be with us for 2 to 4 hours.
If you are having injections, you must have someone available to drive you home — you will be asked to confirm this before treatment takes place.
Patient information and support
You may be referred to the chronic pain management service by your GP, consultant, or the back and neck service.
Once your referral has been reviewed, one of the following may happen:
1. You are offered an individual appointment
You'll usually see a pain management consultant or specialist nurse.
The appointment lasts around 30 minutes.
You’ll be asked about:
Your pain and how it affects your life
Any medications you're taking (bring a list with doses and how often you take them)
How you currently manage your pain
Your general lifestyle and circumstances.
You’ll be sent a questionnaire to fill in before the appointment.
Based on the discussion, you may:
Have changes made to your medication
Be referred for further treatment or procedures
Be offered support from other members of the pain team
Be asked to return for a review in a few months.
2. You are invited to join a group session
You may be asked to attend an Introduction to Pain Management session.
These sessions focus on self-management, which is proven to help reduce the impact of chronic pain.
Sessions are run by the pain management team and may be held virtually or in community locations.
After the session, we’ll explain your next steps and what further support is available.
