The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) includes nurses, consultants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists along with the admin team.  Together they involve patients in every aspect of their service to help them manage their own condition, with the support of the Pain Management team.

Since 2021, the department has invited patients to be involved with the interview process when recruiting MDT posts, sitting on interview panels, or taking part in focus groups. Patient stories have also been shared at national conferences such as the British Pain Society and one patient joined the NNUH Pain Service panel participating in the NNUH Medical Grand Round.

In their supported self-management programme, the Pain Service give three or four patient education sessions every week, with patients regularly attending as Peer Support Volunteers.  Matron Katherine Dyer said: “Sharing their stories in delivering clinical education can be very powerful because it gives real life experiences. Patients have also told us they find it hugely validating to hear from others who suffer with pain as well.

“Engaging patients in their long-term condition is so important when they’re living 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of a year, with chronic pain. Very few of us know what it’s truly like to live like this.”

The team is carrying out a research project to look at whether being a “patient expert” not only provides validation for new patients but also helps the experts with increased confidence and a sense of their own self-worth.

Patient experts are offered regular supervision sessions to support them in their valuable contributions. In a recent session, patients gave feedback including:

• “Being a Peer Support Volunteer at the Pain Management Clinic is vitally important to my health and wellbeing. Not only does it allow me to connect with other people and a strong support network, it also allows me to contribute back to a service that has been an incredible support to me. It enables me to contribute to society in a meaningful way.”
• “Volunteering as a Peer Supporter to give a patient’s perspective and help other patients going through similar problems gives me a great sense of purpose. I’m able to help by sharing what it’s taken me years to learn, practice and adjust to make accommodations for. It’s lovely to be able to do something worthwhile, when my medical conditions often limit what I can do to help others. It also acts as a reminder to myself to check in and make sure I’m still following the advice that I’m sharing and doing what is best for my own health.”
• “I used to feel quite alone in chronic pain… talking to other people who had similar issues and realising I’m not alone was so important to me. It was good to talk to other people… I get a lot of satisfaction from it.”

Katherine added: “We’ve only been able to use this patient-focused approach thanks to the hard work of the entire team in ensuring they put patient experience and engagement at the forefront of all they do. Particular thanks should go to Eirini Charami Roupa, Assistant Psychologist, who facilitates all our volunteer activity.”

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