Provision of multidisciplinary specialist pain services for people with chronic cancer-related late effects pain across England
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Introduction: Pain can be a significant problem for cancer survivors. The provision of pain services in England for people with cancer-related late effects pain, and the epidemiology of service users, is poorly understood.(1–3)Aim: To identify the provision of pain clinics for those with chronic cancer-related pain across England.Methods: NHS Trusts in England (n=190) were sent a Freedom of Information request asking if a multi-disciplinary chronic pain service was provided by the Trust plus requesting attendance rates and demographic information for people with cancer-related late effects pain. Findings: By February 2024, 171 NHS Trusts had responded. Almost half, (n=74, 43.3%) reported they provided a multi-disciplinary chronic pain service. Of these, eight (10.8%) saw people with cancer-related late effects pain, with total numbers since October 2022 ranging from 0-1104 with a median of 8.5. Two specialist cancer Trusts saw the most (1104 and 299 respectively). The median across the remaining pain services was 12.5. Demographic information was provided by four (5.4%) Trusts. Many Trusts (n=49) reported such data were not routinely collected or recorded. Respondents expressed late effects pain is ‘hard to diagnose’, numbers affected are ‘relatively low’, and ‘the vast majority [of these service users] are effectively cared for by [others]’. Conclusions: People with cancer-related late effects pain appear to have limited access to chronic pain support in England. However, a lack of a standardised method of coding and recording cancer-related pain, as a reason for attending pain clinics, mean reporting accurate figures is challenging. There is a perception of rarity of cancer-related late effects pain and an assumption of a clear care pathway; this is at odds with reported literature about prevalence and challenges of accessing support services (4,5). It is essential there is an accurate NHS reporting system so the scale of cancer-related late effects pain, and any potential care gaps, can be understood.1.Changchuan Jiang, MD, MPH Haowei Wang, BS QianWang, MD, MPH Yiming Luo, MD Robert Sidlow, MD, MBA Xuesong Han P. Prevalence of Chronic Pain and High-Impact Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors in the United States. JAMA Oncol. 2019;5(8):1224–5. 2.Faculty of Pain Medicine. Core Standards for Pain Management Services in the UK. 2021; 3.Armoogum J, Harcourt D, Foster C, Llewellyn A, Hepburn J, Prior M, et al. Healthcare professionals’ knowledge, understanding and confidence to manage chronic pain after cancer treatment: A UK survey. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2024 Aug 1;71. 4.Armoogum J, Harcourt D, Foster C, Llewellyn A, McCabe CS. The experience of persistent pain in adult cancer survivors: A qualitative evidence synthesis. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2020;29(1):1–12. 5.Armoogum J, Foster C, Llewellyn A, Harcourt D, McCabe C. ‘I think it affects every aspect of my life, really’: Cancer survivors’ experience of living with chronic pain after curative cancer treatment in England, UK. PLoS One. 2023 Sep 1;18(9 September).
Authors: Armoogum, J, Llewellyn, A, Cramp, F, Berry, A, Mccabe, C
Language: English
Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204290931