Acute Pain
The Acute Pain Service is based within the Ulster Hospital. This nurse-led service consists of Acute Pain Nurse Specialists, Consultant Anaesthetist and Pharmacist input.
The overall aim of the service is to try to ensure that the patients’ pain is managed appropriately and as effectively as possible during their hospital stay.
Patients are usually referred to the service by hospital staff, however, patients can ask to be referred for review if they are unsatisfied with their current pain management.
On a daily basis the Pain Nurse Specialists aim to review all post-operative or trauma patients receiving sophisticated analgesic techniques such as epidural, patient controlled analgesia and spinal opioids.
The Acute Pain Nurse Specialists will also review any other inpatient that requires complex pain and symptom control advice. In addition, the service provides advice and support to all staff within the hospital and telephone support to the other hospital sites. The service provides formal and ad-hoc education to all levels of healthcare staff on pain management.
Chronic Pain Management Service: Patient Information
Chronic pain is defined as persistent or recurrent pain lasting longer than three months. It can arise from a variety of complex conditions and frequently impacts a patient’s physical function, psychological well-being, and social interactions. Our aim is to enable patients to manage symptoms effectively and reduce the impact on their overall quality of life.
Eligibility & Location
The Chronic Pain Service is dedicated to the assessment and treatment of adult patients (aged 18 and over). The service is based within the Ulster Hospital where outpatient clinics are conducted daily. Our specialised pain management programmes are delivered directly within community health settings.
What to Expect Before Your Appointment?
Before you meet the pain team and to enable a thorough assessment, we will ask you to complete a number of questionnaires. They will include questions about your pain, the impact on your movement, the impact on your mind and your quality of life.
These questions are very important to us and help guide your treatment plan.
Services
The Chronic Pain Service aims to work alongside patients to help them manage their chronic pain on a long-term basis. Treating chronic pain is challenging and will vary from person to person. However, we strongly believe with our support you can make informed choices about your care that will enable you to live well despite your pain.
There are a variety of treatment options available and these will be tailored to each patient’s individual needs. The Chronic Pain Service is multi-disciplinary and includes pain doctors, specialist nurses, psychology, physiotherapy as well as support from administration and managerial staff.
Our Commitment
We are dedicated to working collaboratively alongside our patients on their long-term management journey. While managing chronic pain presents unique clinical challenges, we believe that with structured support, patients can make informed decisions regarding their care and achieve meaningful functional improvement. Our intention is to provide evidence-based guidance, support, and reassurance.
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Opening Hours
Chronic Pain
Outpatients and Elective care will take place between:
Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Acute Pain Services will operate between:
Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 2.00pm
Outside of these hours there is an on-call Anaesthetist that can be contacted for advice.
Outside of these hours there is an on-call Anaesthetist that can be contacted for advice.
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Useful Links
The British Pain Society – www.britishpainsociety.org
Pain Concern – www.painconcern.org.uk
Pain Relief Foundation – www.painrelieffoundation.org.uk
The Pain Toolkit – www.paintoolkit.org
