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
Chronic pain can be defined as continuous, long-term pain which has been present for at least 12 weeks and can be the result of a variety of causes.
The Chronic Pain Service aims to work alongside patients to help them manage their chronic pain on a long-term basis.
The Chronic Pain Service is multi-disciplinary and includes pain doctors, specialist nurses, psychology, physiotherapy as well as support from administration and managerial staff.
The Chronic Pain Department is based in the Ulster Hospital where day case and outpatient clinics are held on a daily basis.
The Chronic Pain Department offers a range of treatments such as medication optimisation, injections, physiotherapy, psychology and pain management programmes. Treatments are based on the individual needs of the person.
Referrals to the chronic pain service are usually from a person’s GP or from other services such as ICATS.
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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
