Reviewed on : 9 Apr 2024

Reviewed by : Kate Cogman Contracts Manager CWICB

Expires : 9 Apr 2026

Connect Health Pain Service

Connect Health Pain Service works with each patient to support them in finding the most effective and evidence-based approach to improving their ability to manage their pain on a day-to-day basis

The Connect health team work interdisciplinary consisting of Physiotherapists, Nurses, Well Being Practitioners and Consultants in Pain Management

Locations:

• New patient assessments completed remotely via telephone following which face to face appointments can be accessed based on patient choice and need
• Face to face appointment at Oasis Health centre, Cheylesmore Surgery

Referrals

Referrals are accepted for patients who are registered with a Coventry or Rugby GP

Referrals should be made via ERS where they will be triaged by a member of the Connect Health clinical team.

If the referral is rejected or further information is required Connect Health will get in touch directly with the referrer in writing

Where a referral cannot be sent via ERS then the following email can be used: connecthealth.central@nhs.net

Please ensure that full clinical details are included with the referral including presenting complaint, reason for referral, medication list including previous medications trialled, past medical history and investigations including the report such as for an MRI. If these details are not included the referral may be rejected which will delay patient care

The following inclusion and exclusion criteria apply to the service:

Inclusion criteria;

• Referral via patients GP and/or community MSK Service for Coventry and Rugby registered patients and in addition via the secondary care pain service for those already receiving treatment and requiring ‘step down’.
• Have a diagnosis where possible
• Chronic Pain for greater than 6 months
• Have had investigations by the referring GP to ensure diagnosis is of chronic non-malignant pain
• Not be under another team/provider for the same problem unless considered appropriate and core to the patients treatment plan
• Patients must be a minimum of 18 years old
• Pain must be mainly somatic (physical feeling/ experience) or of benign origin, present most of the time with varying intensity
• Patients must have no further investigations or treatments planned.
• Patient should be medically stable

Exclusion criteria:

• Patients with an  MSK  condition  that  have  not  been  triaged  by Community Musculoskeletal Services physiotherapist (Patients do not need to have had a full treatment plan within this service if early access to a chronic pain service is deemed necessary)
• Chronic pain for less than 6 months duration
• Known pathology requiring further investigation
• Suspected cancer or cancer related pain
• Palliative pain
• Post-operative or post traumatic complications
• Suspected Fracture / Infection
• Pre-natal Back Pain/pelvic pain
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (unless their primary presenting symptom pain)
• Presence of red flags e.g. Cauda Equina Syndrome
• Patients receiving care from another pain management service
• Patients under the age of 18 years old
• Patients not registered with a GP
• Patients requiring a surgical opinion

Assessment

A full bio-psychosocial assessment is completed in the first appointment to support the development of a care plan

The following patient reported outcome measures are also used to support this: Brief Pain Inventory, Pain Self Efficacy Questionnaire, GAD-7 and PHQ-8

Adjustments can be made for patients if required including interpreting facilities, information provided in different languages, text changed for people with sight difficulties or dyslexia for example

Treatment pathways:

• Pain education/ self management: this can include group based Pain Management Programmes delivered face to face or online, or individual sessions if the patient is unable to attend group sessions
• 1:1 pain psychology sessions to support with the emotional impact of the pain
• Medical interventions following NICE guidelines and local Coventry & Warwickshire ICB policy
• Please ensure that you are aware of this policy before referral to ensure any requested treatment is commissioned. For example the only commissioned treatment for back pain is radiofrequency denervation treatment Injections for Non-Specific Back Pain Without Sciatica Policy.pdf (happyhealthylives.uk)
• Medication reviews to provide evidence based recommendations regarding pain medications to the patient and their prescriber (usually the GP)
• All recommended prescribing will be in line with NICE guidelines and local agreed formulary as published on the Coventry & Warwickshire Area Prescribing Committee website

It can be helpful to signpost people prior to the referral to support the understanding of chronic pain and the differences with the treatment of acute pain

Prior to referral please ensure that the patient understands that there may not be a treatment available to reduce their pain symptoms and support may be focused on the impact that the pain has on the person and their life

Additional Resources to help the patient to understand the mechanisms of chronic pain:

• Understanding pain in 5 minutes – available to watch on YouTube
• tamethebeast.org ‘Its time to rethink persistent pain’
• livewellwithpain.co.uk
• livewellwithpain.co.uk/ten-footsteps-programme/
• paintoolkit.org
• flippinpain.co.uk

Contact us:

Connect Health, Floor 3 The Light Box, Quorum Business Park, Benton Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE12 8EU

Web:   www.connecthealth.co.uk

Email: connecthealth.central@nhs.net

Tel:      0800 034 0406