News

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 ...

A major change is underway for people living with chronic pain. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has launched a dedicated workstream to improve pain services across the country. The aim is better care for patients and better support for the professionals delivering it. ...

The BPS (British Pain Society) Annual Scientific Meeting in Newport, Wales (June 3–5 2025), might not appear, at first sight, to have much to offer the pain patient (or even the BPS's own patient reps!). It's an industry and academic jamboree packed with presentations on the very ...

In this blog I cover some of the difficulties that people with long-term pain and illness face with the UK benefits and welfare systems, and why governments should take on a deeper meaning of social security to improve health outcomes. The social security system in the UK administers ...

A Day of Innovation and Ideas at the RSM On behalf of Pain Concern, I attended the Royal Society of Medicine’s Pain Management Outside the Box conference on Wednesday 16th October. It was held in a large room with books from the floor to the ceiling. These shelves, ...

Dr. Lars Williams is consultant anaesthetist and pain specialist working for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Pain Service, as well as the Scottish National Pain Management Service.  In this article, originally published in Pain Matters 87, Dr. Williams explores the complexities of using opioids for chronic pain management, ...

The North British Pain Association (NBPA) held its Autumn Scientific Meeting on 8th November 2024 in Edinburgh, focusing on the theme of Pain Management Across Identities. Thank you! We thank the NBPA committee for organising a day of engaging talks and discussions. It was inspiring to hear about efforts ...

It’s always good to look back at previous editions of Pain Matters and it’s from issue 38 that I take great delight in sharing some words for wisdom from Dennis Turk and Frits Winter, “Pain needs competition”— social contact, creativity and fun all help us to put ...

Andy is a writer. Negotiating life with pain and fatigue has meant discovering new ways to celebrate Christmas. In this series of anecdotes, Andy shares how difficult yet joyous that journey can be. 1. “The Christmas Light Dilemma” Every year, the twinkle of Christmas lights feels like a promise ...

The festive season can be a joyful time, but for those living with chronic pain, it often brings additional challenges. In these moments, showing yourself compassion is not just important—it's essential. Andy Jeffrey, a Pain Concern volunteer, shares his handpicked selection of compassionate Christmas films to inspire ...

Beth Evans in conversation with Jason Wilsher-Mills  Jason Wilsher-Mills is an artist from Wakefield. His exhibition ‘Jason and the adventure of 254’ is being shown at the Wellcome Collection until 12 January 2025. At the age of eleven, Jason was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that paralysed him ...

We’re excited to share the launch of the Chronic Pain Knowledge Hub, a new resource from NHS Education for Scotland. This hub has been developed in partnership with the National Pain Education Group, of which Pain Concern is a member. What is the Hub? The Hub was created ...