In November 2011, the British Pain Society, Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, Faculty of Pain Medicine and Royal College of General Practitioners came together to hold the First National Pain Summit for England. This final report, drawn from discussions during the conference and follow up research and evidence sessions, lays out clear recommendations for government to improve services for those suffering from chronic pain.

Around one in eight people live with chronic pain nationwide. Although the majority of people living with pain learn to live well in spite of it, a substantial proportion develops problem pain with progressive disability leading to loss of independence and poor quality of life. Untreated, intractable pain can destroy the lives of those living with it and those who care for them. It is strongly associated with depression and people with severe chronic pain die younger than others. The burden on health services of poorly-managed chronic pain is great. The cost of chronic pain to the national economy in terms of benefits paid and lost work is vast, with estimates running into the tens of billions of pounds each year.

Visit the CPPC website to read more.