Pain Management

Introduction

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Pain Management Visiting Professional Programme is designed to provide applicants with the opportunity to experience first-hand our Pain Management Service, which specialises in treating adults (over 18 years) with chronic pain. The programme offers a unique chance to be fully integrated within a service that is at the forefront of clinical management, training and research.

The programme has been designed by our clinical leads to provide a unique development experience that enables visiting professionals to broaden their clinical expertise and learn new skills that can be transferred back to their work place.

Programme aims

• To increase engagement with important/ valued activities and not focussed on pain reduction. The courses are based on a mindfulness/ acceptance and commitment therapy approach. The core elements are outlined below:
• Increasing attention and awareness of familiar responses to pain and habitual activity patterns
• Clarifying what is personally important and setting small goals related this and acting upon them
• Practicing an open and flexible approach to doing meaningful activities even when faced with difficult thoughts, sensations, emotions etc.
• Re-committing to goals in the presence of difficulties and barriers
• Education about the nature of persistent pain
• Education about the long term use of pain medication and medication review with a specialist pain nurse

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.

Format

This programme does not require a format section on the website

Pain Management Centre

If you have a particular interest in observing our medical doctors’ or nurses’ clinics then this can be arranged. We can provide an opportunity to observe day surgery and neuromodulation theatre sessions, ward rounds, and specialist doctor’s clinics.

Individual weekly timetables will be created based on each visiting professional’s requirements.

INPUT Pain Management

Visiting professionals will be aligned with a Multi-Disciplinary Team (including psychologists, physiotherapists, nurses and occupational therapists). We expect visiting professionals to be fully integrated in the day-to-day service within our INPUT Pain Management Team.

You will be offered the chance to observe one of our residential programmes. There are two types:

• Three-week residential programme
• Two week pre-neuromodulation programme.

Additionally, you may wish to observe multidisciplinary assessments and staff teaching sessions.

Who can apply

This programme is intended for non-U.K. qualified registrars, consultants, and other health professionals with an interest in Chronic Pain and Pain Management.

The programme is aimed at those who wish to extend their clinical expertise in pain management approaches to working with those with chronic pain within St Thomas’ hospital.

The Pain Management Centre / INPUT Unit welcomes visitors for the purposes of shared learning and partnership with external agencies.

Visitors can be:

1. Professionals involved in or setting up other pain management services or using pain management strategies in their practice
2. Doctors on rotation to the Pain Management Clinic
3. Students on elective/agreed placement
4. Visitors must be over the age of 18

Medical doctors have the choice of applying for a hands-on placement or observership programme. Those wishing to apply for a hands-on attachment must have GMC registration or NMC registration. You can apply for GMC registration directly through the main GMC website, alternatively The Royal College of Physicians run a medical training initiative which facilitates GMC registration and provides sponsorship for a Tier 5 visa. You can find out more about their Medical Training Initiative by visiting their website. NMC registration can be applied for via NMC website.

Programme duration

The programme’s duration can be tailored to the specific learning requirements of those visiting. However, it is recommended that in order to get the most out of the Pain Management Centre / INPUT Programme that visiting professionals undertake a placement of at least two weeks.

Pain Management service

The Guys and St Thomas’ Pain Management and Neuromodulation Centre is internationally recognised as a centre of clinical and academic excellence in the management of chronic pain.

We have a long history of providing traditional chronic pain management treatments such as day case procedures and outpatient treatments.

We’ve also established world prominence in the fields of spinal cord stimulation and other neuromodulation techniques, as well as in addressing the psychological, physical and social impacts of chronic pain with our pain management programmes. This is delivered through the INPUT Pain Unit.

The centre collaborates closely with spinal surgeons in the assessment and treatment of spinal pains, and similarly provides highly specialised, multidisciplinary assessments for conditions including:

• Joint Urology
• Opioid
• Sickle Cell
• Neuropathic
• Pelvic Pain
• Neurofibromatosis
• Joint Paediatric
• Virtual Orthopaedic MDT
• Facial Pain
• Headache
• SCS MDT Clinic

INPUT Pain Unit – Helping people with ongoing pain reach their goals

The INPUT Pain Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital was opened in 1989. We are an NHS service, running pain management programmes throughout the year for patients from all over the UK. We have strong links with King’s College London and an active research programme.

We receive referrals from General Practitioners and Consultants from London and all over England.

Our vision is to provide world-class pain management, good health outcomes and excellent patient experience, based on research, evidence and national and international standards. Our aim is to work together with patients, GPs, consultants, King’s Health Partners, and other healthcare providers to deliver effective and patient-centred care, enhance patients’ quality of life, improve clinical outcomes and deliver world-class teaching.

INPUT operates a busy service comprising of:

• Residential pain management programme
• Residential pre-neuromodulation pain management programme
• Outpatient pain management programme
• Outpatient 1:1 psychology
• Online pain management programme
• Occupational therapy
• Acupuncture

Inpatient acute pain service – Helping patients on our wards to manage their pain

The inpatient acute pain team provides advice for managing pain after surgery. They also see patients who are not necessarily having surgery, but are suffering from severe short-term pain. They carry out daily ward rounds at both Guy’s and St Thomas’, helping patients to control their pain effectively through education and guidance. They also provide education and training programmes for nursing, medical and pharmacy staff, to help them to care for and manage this area of care effectively.

Headache and facial pain service

The Headache Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ cares for patients with headache and facial pain disorders.

Our service has a multidisciplinary structure which mean we work with a broad range of other health professionals and clinical services.

Our team includes consultants, clinical psychologists, a neurosurgeon, clinical nurse specialists, headache research experts, clinical scientists, research fellows and research nurses.

As well as serving our local populations of Southwark and Lambeth, we also accept referrals from consultants and other specialists for patients with complex head and facial pain disorders.

Conditions treated

We treat the following headache-related conditions:

• chronic migraine
• cluster headaches
• SUNCT and SUNA headache
• tension type headache
• trigeminal neuralgia
• paroxysmal hemicranias
• hemicranias continua
• medication overuse headache
• new persistent daily headaches
• persistent migraine aura
• post-traumatic headache
• secondary headache disorder.

Research

We have a dedicated research team leading ground breaking research aimed at improving our understanding of chronic pain conditions. Our clinical research is focused on:

• investigating new innovations
• advancing current treatments
• improving the quality of life of patients with chronic pain

Our current research work includes local, national and international clinical studies in areas such as:

• neuromodulation
• endoscopic pain relief interventions
• novel pain medications
• pain management strategies for various client groups including:
• complex regional pain syndrome
• neuropathic pain in patients with diabetes
• chronic pain in trunk and/or limbs
• osteoarthritis
• lower back pain

Example Timetable

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email [email protected]

Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.