Mapping the gaps: Multi-disciplinary chronic pain service provision for cancer-related pain across England

Prevalence rates for cancer-related pain are 40-50%. Provision of multi-disciplinary chronic pain services for those with cancer-related pain is poorly understood.

To identify provision of multi-disciplinary chronic pain services for those with cancer-related pain across England.

Acute/Hospital and Community NHS Trusts in England (n = 190) were sent Freedom of Information requests asking if a multi-disciplinary chronic pain service was provided by the Trust, and numbers of people seen in previous 24 months with (a) tumour-related pain and (b) cancer-related late effects pain or pain caused by cancer treatments. Demographic information was requested. If no response was received within 10 weeks, a follow up request was sent. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

In total, 171 NHS Trusts responded. Almost half, (n = 74, 43.3%) reported providing a multi-disciplinary chronic pain service. Of these, 17 (23.0%) were able to provide attendance data for people with tumour-related pain and eight (10.8%) with late effects pain. Demographic information could be provided by seven (9.5%) Trusts for those with tumour-related pain and four (5.4%) for late effects pain. The main reason Trusts could not provide demographic information was because such data were not routinely collected.

People with cancer-related pain appear to have limited access to multi-disciplinary chronic pain support in England. However, lack of standardised methods of coding and recording cancer-related pain as reasons for attending multi-disciplinary chronic pain services mean reporting accurate figures is challenging. It is essential that there is an accurate reporting system so the scale of cancer-related pain can be understood to help guide the provision and development of services, education and research.