APMA welcomed the announcement by the NSW Liberal & National Parties prior to the recent State election of a comprehensive pain policy. Following the election,  the new Government and its Minister for Health (who is also Minister for Medical Research) the Hon Jillian Skinner appear to be moving quickly to develop and implement a State-wide pain strategy to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people living with persistent pain in NSW and help prevent acute pain conditions becoming ongoing – thereby adding substantially to health costs.

Pain patients in NSW currently face long waiting lists for services in public hospitals and primary care services are not equipped to provide the multi-disciplinary approaches necessary to effectively treat pain conditions – including acute, chronic and cancer pain. The development of a state-wide strategy for NSW consistent with the National Pain Strategy will revolutionise pain services in this state and help overcome the terrible personal suffering and economic burden of pain in the community.

The undertaking to continue the work of the Agency for Clinical Innovation will ensure that primary and community based pain services are more accessible, and structured and resourced to provide multi-disciplinary services that can deliver more effective prevention and treatment of pain. And the guarantee to maintain existing programs, including in particular the ADAPT programs at Royal North Shore Hospital, is very welcome. APMA lobbied the then Labor Government, as well as then shadow Minister Jillian Skinner, in October 2010. APMA called for “appropriate secure funding to be provided to Royal North Shore Hospital Pain Management Research Centre to guarantee the continuation of the ADAPT program and the centre’s valuable and leading clinical and research work in promoting and improving effective pain management.”

NSW has an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the more than 300,000 people estimated to be severely disabled pain sufferers throughout the State. We look forward to working with the new Minister and NSW Health to assist NSW become an Australian example in the management of pain.

Read APMA’s call for secure funding for ADAPT and other NSW pain services