Community Pain Management

What is the Community Pain Management (CPM) service?

Community Pain Management (CPM) is a team of Psychologists, Psychological Therapists and Physiotherapists who specialise in pain management. You may have been referred to us from Secondary Care Pain Team (Pain Clinic), Integrated Musculoskeletal Service, or Rheumatology.

What do we do in the Community Pain Management Service?

A member of our team will help to see if our services are suitable for you. In most cases, your initial appointment will be with a member of the Psychology team. During this appointment, they will ask you questions so that they can learn more about the pain you experience and give advice about further interventions available within the service. Alternatively, your first appointment may be with a Physiotherapist.

What can the Community Pain Management Service do for you?

Our primary intervention is a Living Well with Pain Programme (LWWP).

This is a group-based treatment, which takes into account the wider impact of pain (lifestyle, psychological and social factors). In doing so, this programme aims to give you a toolbox of strategies to manage your pain and everyday activities better.

We can’t take the pain away but we can help you to have a better quality of life despite the pain.

This programme offers an alternative treatment approach to medical interventions and medications. The LWWP programme is jointly facilitated by psychology and physiotherapy, aiming to provide you with a holistic approach to care.

This programme runs for either 6 or 9 weeks depending on your assessed needs. Each session runs between 2½ – 3 hours with a 20 minute break during the session. These sessions will occur once a week for the determined number of weeks on either a morning or afternoon.

While attending the LWWP programme, you will develop skills that help you cope with and manage your pain. These skills include:

• Understanding both the psychological, biological and social components of persistent pain
• Learning about managing everyday activities, such as hobbies and work.
• How to relax both your mind and body
• How to pace your activities to reduce the pain you experience
• How to improve your ability to do activities that are meaningful to you
• How to improve your confidence to cope with persistent pain

In some cases, you may be referred for 1 to 1 support with a Psychologist or Physiotherapist within the CPM service.

What do we not offer?

We do not offer medication reviews, scans, medical interventions, such as injections, or medical advice. For these services we advise you contact your referrer or GP.

What will happen after my triage appointment?

Once you have been assessed, you will be added to the waiting list for your agreed intervention, or signposted to a local service that may better meet your individual needs. For example, mental health services or services which support with physical activity within the community.

If you have been assessed as suitable for a Living Well with Pain Programme, you will be offered a taster session. This session runs for 90 minutes and it is a chance to meet some of the CPM team, whilst gaining an understanding of the content of the programme in greater depth, experiencing what it is like to be in a group environment and potentially meeting other individuals who may attend the programme.

After the taster session, if you think accessing the full programme will be helpful for you, you will be asked to opt-in, and you will be invited to group sessions as soon as a space becomes available.

How to contact us

Community Pain Management – Specialist Services Admin

Telephone: 01429 522471
Monday to Friday: 8:30am – 4:30pm

Please contact us if you have any further questions about your appointment, require any special considerations or if you would like to re-arrange/cancel your appointment.

Useful links

Here are a list of links that you may find helpful:

• https://livewellwithpain.co.uk/ten-footsteps-programme/
• https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/
• https://www.paintoolkit.org/
• https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/adults/sleep-hub/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/
• https://www.meccgateway.co.uk/nenc
• https://www.versusarthritis.org/

For non-English speakers see:

• https://www.retrainpain.org/

Comments, concerns, compliments or complaints

Patient Experience Team (PET)

We are continually trying to improve the services we provide. We want to know what we’re doing well or if there’s anything which we can improve, that’s why the Patient Experience Team (PET) is here to help. Our Patient Experience Team is here to try to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. The office is based on the ground floor at the University Hospital of North Tees if you wish to discuss concerns in person. If you would like to contact or request a copy of our PET leaflet, please contact:

Telephone: 01642 624719

Freephone: 0800 092 0084

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:00pm

Email: [email protected]

Out of hours

Out of hours if you wish to speak to a senior member of Trust staff, please contact the hospital switchboard who will bleep the appropriate person.

Telephone: 01642 617617

Data protection and use of patient information

The Trust has developed Data Protection policies in accordance with Data Protection Legislation (UK General Data Protection Regulations and Data Protection Act 2018) and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. All of our staff respect these policies and confidentiality is adhered to at all times. If you require further information on how we process your information please see our Privacy Notices.

Telephone: 01642 383551

Email: [email protected]

Leaflet feedback

This leaflet has been produced in partnership with patients and carers. All patient leaflets are regularly reviewed, and any suggestions you have as to how it may be improved are extremely valuable. Please write to the Clinical Governance team, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospital of North Tees, TS19 8PE or:

Email: [email protected]