Clinicians and advocates call for chronic pain model of care to be published urgently

‘What Pain Takes’ awareness campaign aims to highlight the often-unseen impact of living with chronic pain

A fully-funded, time-bound implementation plan must accompany a new Government strategy for the management of chronic pain, patient advocates have said.

Chronic Pain Ireland, the Irish Pain Society and the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland have called on the Government to publish its National Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services.

They are also seeking the implementation of ICD-11 chronic pain classifications. Developed as part of the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11 is the first classification system to include a systematic representation of chronic pain.

“Chronic pain takes away the most fundamental and important parts of life including time spent with family and friends, the ability to study, travel and work as well as the profound impact for some people on their mental health,” said University of Galway professor of clinical psychology Prof Brian McGuire.

“With up to one in every three people in Ireland having chronic pain, there is an urgent need to publish and resource the new Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain, which would ensure more people are seen earlier in community-based interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation services and those who most need intensive hospital-based treatments can be seen quickly.

“Chronic pain affects almost every household in Ireland – we therefore call on the HSE to respond positively to the new Model of Care and give chronic pain services the resources they need.”

The call for action is part of Chronic Pain Ireland’s ‘What Pain Takes’ a national 14-day campaign revealing the often-unseen impact of living with chronic pain.

The three pain organisations are also calling on the HSE and Government to improve national data on need, service capacity, access, waiting times and outcomes.

“Living with chronic pain can be very challenging and the early input and support from a specialist, multidisciplinary pain management team can make a big difference,” said Dr David Moore, consultant in pain management at Beaumont Hospital and clinical lead for the Integrated Model of Care for Pain Management.

“Unfortunately, due to resource challenges and the large number of people with chronic pain, many Irish people will experience support that is too little and too late.

“Our hope is to create a national integrated model of care for pain management in Ireland that will map out world-class and evidence-based services for our population. The best management of chronic pain is important for the individual but also for our whole society.”

Running from September 14 to 27, the ‘What Pain Takes’ campaign asks people to look beyond a single visible moment and consider what it may have taken for someone living with chronic pain to be there. Capacity can change from one day to another, or even from one hour to the next.

Throughout the campaign, Chronic Pain Ireland’s Pain Ambassadors will share personal experiences to highlight what pain can take from energy, sleep, spontaneity, relationships, independence, confidence, working life and time.

One of those ambassadors is 35-year-old business owner Philippine Sikora from Drogeda, Co Louth, who has lived mainly with neuropathic pain for more than a decade.

“One thing I want people to understand is that chronic pain takes much more than what they see,” she said.

“Everyday activities, such as cooking, walking or taking the bins out, take a lot of energy, require planning, lead to recovery time, and create pain. Fatigue and pain thresholds fluctuate: one day I’m able to cook myself a nice dish.

“The next day, I have to lay down and skip dinner because I’m too nauseous from the pain. If someone tells you they suffer from chronic pain, don’t assume you know how they feel, even if they look fine.”

Christina Donnelly, executive director of Chronic Pain Ireland, added: “‘What Pain Takes’ reveals what can lie behind what’s visible – it shows how hard people need to work to participate in everyday tasks.

“They should not also have to work hard to be believed, understood or find the right support. Awareness must lead to action, including implementing the ICD-11 chronic-pain classifications so chronic pain can be more consistently recognised and recorded, strengthening the data Ireland needs to plan and evaluate services.

“We are calling on the Government and the HSE to complete and publish the National Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services, together with a funded, time-bound implementation plan.”