Understanding chronic pain
A new Chronic Pain Knowledge Hub including a Chronic Pain Toolkit are now available to all NHS Scotland health and care staff to deepen their understanding of a condition that affects 38% of adults in Scotland (The Scottish Health Survey 2022). The National Pain Education group collaborated with various Directorates in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to promote understanding by showcasing new and existing training resources with the overall aim of upskilling multi-disciplinary staff who help people with chronic pain.
The Hub on Turas, the workforce learning platform by NES, includes in depth resources for anyone working in a public-facing role including clinical, administrative, domestic and estates colleagues. It also offers two sets of training modules. Both physical and psychological aspects of chronic pain are integral to the person's experience and the way in which chronic pain is managed and treated. To access the Hub users first need to register with Turas.
The Interactive chronic pain toolkit is a learning resource for all health and social care professionals who directly or indirectly provide support and management for people living with pain.
Nicola Rhind, National Clinical Lead for Chronic Pain for the Scottish Government, said the intention was to develop a more compassionate and knowledgeable Scottish health and care workforce by raising awareness of the prevalence of chronic pain and its impact.
“Due to its high incidence, it is likely that all frontline staff will come into contact with people living with chronic pain in their day-to-day work. On completion of the hour-long module, chronic pain-informed colleagues will know how to demonstrate active listening skills and be able to validate and normalise someone’s experience of chronic pain, be that a patient or a colleague.
“The skilled level modules are for members of the NHS Scotland health and care workforce supporting someone living with pain to manage their condition in a non-pain specialist setting.”
Commenting on the launch of the Turas Learn toolkit, Deputy National Clinical Director Dr John Harden said:
“While this training teaches us to manage all our interactions in a pain-informed way, the underlying message is that we need to build empathy and kindness into all we do.
“We don’t know how someone else is feeling but, if we keep in mind that there is a very good chance they are experiencing chronic pain, how we communicate could ease some of this suffering.”
NHS staff members who completed the training in a test run in advance of its release said:
“(Now that I have done this training) I will be more understanding and sympathetic to patients with chronic pain knowing that they are never completely free of it.”
Another said:
“(I learned that) pain is what the person says it is, regardless of what I may observe or believe to be the case.”
Michelle Goldie, a patient representative on the Chronic Pain Task Force, said:
“Not only the patient will benefit from earlier better care but that the whole community will benefit. This is because the patient will be able to continue to re-engage and be an active member of the community and society.”
Being informed about chronic pain means health and care staff will be in a stronger position to support someone with chronic pain to access the appropriate services and resources.”
Karen Wilson, NES Deputy Chief Executive (Clinical) and Director of NMAHP said:
“NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are delighted to have supported the development of this ‘one-stop shop’ for all health and social care staff looking for support to develop their knowledge and skills in chronic pain management. The four practice levels of the learning toolkit recognise the different roles that exist in supporting people with chronic pain, and allow learners to choose the practice level and resources most relevant to their role.”
To access the Turas resource visit: Chronic Pain Knowledge Hub | Turas | Learn
For further resources on Chronic Pain visit:
Contact: corpcomms@nes.scot.nhs.uk
November, 26 2024