The Chronic Pain Policy Coalition is preparing to launch The Hidden Suffering of Chronic Pain at its event ‘Improving the Lives of People with Chronic Pain’ in Parliament on Wednesday 18th November and with it urge the National Health Service to implement annual reviews for patients with chronic pain.

The CPPC has been working with a number of partners to consolidate all the most relevant information on chronic pain into one central booklet. This one resource aims to provide clarity on chronic pain and those who suffer from it, and highlight the need for more focus from the NHS.

By bringing all of this information together, the CPPC will present Parliament with a focused, data-driven picture of just how much chronic pain affects an estimated 14 million people, of which a quarter suffer to a point where they are forced to stop working and many never experience a complete cure.

This publication is at the core of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition’s drive to urge the NHS to implement annual patient reviews, particularly in light of the recent BBC Panorama documentary Hooked on Painkillers which explored patients who have become reliant on opioids in the wake of their ongoing chronic illnesses with little healthcare intervention.

CPPC co-chair Martin Johnson featured on Hooked on Painkillers and was central to the development of The Hidden Suffering of Chronic Pain and the CPPC’s annual review campaign. Speaking about the link between painkiller prescriptions, chronic pain, policy and Parliament, Martin said

“The Chronic Pain Policy Coalition pulled information from a range of sources for this new booklet and this has made chronic pain so much more realistic and understandable. We now can explain to Parliamentariansonce and for all just how chronic pain affects Britain’s people. This is a hidden illness and one we believe Parliament and the NHS needs to concentrate on, which is why we are advising that chronic pain sufferers are called for annual health reviews to look at medications, painkillers and more, to make sure that chronic pain is no longer a silent ailment.”

‘Improving the Lives of People with Chronic Pain’ is set to take place on Wednesday 18th November, 12-2pm in Parliament. The event includes a panel of experts discussing the ongoing chronic pain issues and professionals’ insights highlighted by the new publication.

Speakers include:

• Mr Neil Betteridge, CPPC Co-Chair – Chair of the event
• Lord Luce – opening remarks
• Dr Beverly Collett, Chair of Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) Professional Standards Committee and co-editor of Core Standards for Pain Management Services in the UK
• Dr Anna Weiss, Member of FPM Professional Standards Committee and co-editor of Core Standards for Pain Management Services in the UK
• Professor Roger Knaggs, Honorary Secretary Elect, British Pain Society, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham, Specialist Pharmacist in Pain Management, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Clinical Co-Lead of Opioid Aware
• Mr Antony Chuter, Chair of Pain UK
• Dr Martin Johnson, CPPC Co-Chair

Interested professionals are invited to attend and take part in the discussions on the day. If you would like to attend, please contact CPPC Manager Benedetta la Corte on Benedetta.lacorte [at] policyconnect.org.uk (Benedetta[dot]lacorte[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk) or 0207 202 8574.