PATIENTS in Gwent who live with chronic pain are benefiting from a newcentre opened at one of the area’s hospitals.

The Chronic Pain Management Centre at County Hospital, Griffithstown, treats people experiencing a range of long-term conditions including lower back pain and neck pain.

Consultants in pain medicine, specialist pain nurses, a clinical psychologist and specialist physiotherapists make up a chronic pain team able to provide a wide range of help for patients whose problems can be extremely limiting.

The centre comprises three clinic areas, a counselling room and a large room for group therapies.

It provides outpatient consultation clinics, nurse-led telephone follow-up clinics, psychology services for chronic pain patients, pain management programmes, acupuncture and group education clinics for specialist electrical nerve stimulation.

“This is a superb facility which will provide a central hub for pain management services within Aneurin Bevan Health Board,” said Dr Sonia Wartan, lead clinician for chronic pain services.

“Patients will benefit from being able to quickly access a range of health professionals.

“Chronic disease management poses an enormous challenge to the NHS and among the centre’s key aims are to ensure sufferers of chronic pain receive the best treatments available, and that patients are actively involved in managing their own pain problems.

“Pain is a very costly problem in terms of quality of life, use of health services, and employment.

Pain related problems are a big contributory to disability in the general population, with one-in-five people suffering chronic pain.”

Nurse-led clinics have proved highly effective in reducing waiting lists, as pain team nurses follow up routine patients very quickly.

They can implement agreed dosages and closely monitor a patient’s pain management plan with the consultant, freeing up clinic time for the consultant to concentrate on more complex cases.

Existing clinics and specialised clinics in other Gwent hospitals, such as those for chronic female pelvic pain, and diabetic polyneuropathy, will be maintained, with the Chronic Pain Management Centre providing a focus for patients across Gwent.