Improving pain

In 2024-25, Derby and Derbyshire ran a Pain Management Collaborative.

This was group of people who had an interest in pain, lived with pain, or supported people who lived with pain.

Derby and Derbyshire was an area with unusually high prescribing of opioids in the Midlands region.

Opioids are a type of pain relief medication that doctors prescribe for people who are in a lot of pain, such as if injured or after surgery. These medicines help ease the pain. Examples of opioids are morphine and codeine.

There is not much evidence that opioids are effective for long-term persistent pain (lasting more than three months), that is not related to cancer.

Opioids can be harmful and cause risks if taken for a long time or in high doses.

The Derby and Derbyshire Pain Management Collaborative worked with Health Innovation East Midlands to help people live well with long-lasting pain and reduce harm from opioids.

Actions to improve pain management

Action the group delivered:

• Produced a guide to help prescribers reduce opioid medicine doses
• More than 60 healthcare professionals have completed the ‘Live Well With Pain – Ten Footsteps Practitioner’ training
• We have supported practices to set up Live Well With Pain courses or support groups by producing an implementation guide and facilitators guide.  
• Produced an information leaflet for people who are prescribed short term opioids after discharge from hospital
• Agreed a policy for the prescribing of opioid medication on discharge from hospital
• Agreed a set of standards to support a safe opioid prescribing system for both GP Practice staff and patients

Find out more

• Derbyshire Dialogue online presentation on “improving pain management” – September 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6MxOb8MxYw
• Health and wellbeing coaches Dawn Lee and Nichola Davis and their service users at Lister House Surgery, Derby, speak about their experiences on the Health Innovation East Midlands website: Let’s Live well with pain