59th Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Pain Society
Pain Concern has just returned from the British Pain Society’s 59th Annual Scientific Meeting, where our Project and Operations Manager, Sam Mason, delivered a brief presentation on Pain Education Sessions. Here are three perspectives on the three-day event…
Roger Knaggs and Jo Brown, President and Executive Director, respectively, of the British Pain Society:
Last week, health professionals, researchers, allied health professionals and people with lived experience of pain from across the world came to Harrogate for the British Pain Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting (BPS ASM). This is the main national meeting where experts share new research findings and discuss how pain care can be improved.
This year’s meeting focused on understanding pain across the whole of life and finding better ways to support people with long‑term and complex pain. Talks covered how pain is processed in the brain, how experiences in childhood can affect pain later in life and how physical, psychological and social factors all interact. There was a clear message that pain is not ‘just physical’ and that good care needs to look at the whole person, not just symptoms.
One of the standout highlights of this year’s ASM has been the enthusiasm and quality demonstrated by our early career colleagues. From the posters to the oral presentations and wider programme activities, their energy, curiosity and commitment to advancing pain science and care have been truly inspiring. They represent the future of our field, and it’s incredibly encouraging to see such strong engagement and innovation coming through.
Another important part of the meeting was the contribution of representatives from the Expert Patient and Carer Committee (EPCC). The committee had created several activities for attendees to participate in, ensuring that the voices and experiences of people living with pain and those who care for them were clearly heard. Their involvement reinforced the message that patients and carers are experts in their own right and essential partners in shaping research, education and services.
Overall, the ASM highlighted the strength and diversity of our multidisciplinary pain community, bringing together clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience to share knowledge and challenge thinking. The quality of discussion and collaboration seen last week will undoubtedly shape better care for people living with pain moving forward.
Tim Atkinson, Chair of the British Pain Society’s Expert Patient and Carer Committee:
As ever, the BPS ASM was a blur of faces, facts and – thanks to the Expert Patient and Carer Committee (EPCC) – fun!
Front: Victoria Abott-Fleming. Back (L–R): Tim Atkinson, Mark Agathangelou, Nick Richardson, Lisa Blanchard.
It’s always lovely to meet new people as well as reconnect with old friends, all of whom are there because they have a vested interest in learning more about (and better managing) pain.
Seeing face-to-face people whom you usually only see on Zoom is an additional bonus, with the social side of the ASM – the ‘extra-curricular’ conversations and networking – often being as valuable as the presentations.
Facts and theories, as presented via plenaries, parallels and posters, inch the intellectual pursuit of knowledge in so many mind-boggling directions it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. But behind the pure science lies the beating heart of the BPS, as summed up by its strapline – ‘together, we will do more for pain’. There is always a purpose – to understand, in order to assist.
As for the fun, well there’s plenty to be had and this year, thanks to the ‘find the meerkat’ activity (along with interactive ‘pain metaphors’, ‘patient v clinicians’ and ‘what matters most’ boards), there was even more of it on show and it was wonderful to see so many people engaging with the activities devised by the EPCC.
The event really does fly by and no sooner are you setting up and saying ‘hello’ than you’re packing away and saying… ‘see you in Glasgow’ (venue for next year’s ASM)!
Paul Evans, producer and presenter of Airing Pain:
In the spring of 2010 I attended my first ASM in Glasgow. A major landmark for me, it was my return to the world of work following a long absence and final exit from the BBC on the grounds of ill health, fibromyalgia.
I’ve been to every ASM since, and the brief hasn’t changed over the 16 meetings I’ve attended – simply, to record interviews with members of the pain community for future use in Pain Concern’s Airing Pain podcasts.
Simple? No! The BPS generously give us a room to record in and, depending on venue availability, these have ranged from broom cupboards to executive suites! Our room this year was spacious albeit windowless and painted in what I presume was the conference centre’s colour scheme, grey. But what really matters is that it was located at the heart of the conference, meaning my assistant Megan and I felt part of the event.
For it to work seamlessly, preparation is key. Megan had spent months contacting advisors for recommendations, researching and scheduling interviews. My role was to sit in my windowless, grey ‘studio’ and have interviewee after interviewee, eighteen over two days, ‘fed’ to me in succession – a bit like a sausage machine!
Re-focussing my brain to move from one topic to another in quick succession is a challenge. For example, shifting from deeply moving childhood trauma in active war zones to scientific neural modulation research certainly exercises the brain, mine at least!
Stay tuned for episodes produced from this year’s interviews… Otherwise, we look forward to 2027’s return to Glasgow!
