Hlth142 Pain management (Saesneg yn unig)

17 April 2012

Dear ,

Thank you for your email of 19 March asking for details of:

• any guidance you [Welsh Government] have developed to support the effective commissioning and/or provision of pain management services in Wales.

• how much was spent on pain management in hospitals in each of the last five years by Health Board.

• how much was spent on NHS prescriptions for analgesics in each of the last five years by Health Board.

• the number of a) inpatient day cases and b) outpatient appointments that have taken place for pain management in each of the last five years by Health Board.

• any guidance the Department has issued to GPs to effectively manage the referral of patients to hospital for pain management.

• any benchmarking initiatives the Department has undertaken at a) Health Board and b) national level in each of the last five years to identify best practice in provision of pain management services in Wales.

To answer each part of your request in order:
Guidance developed by the Welsh Government in providing and commissioning pain management services in Wales
Welsh Government guidance on pain management is contained in the Service Development and Commissioning Directive (SDCD) for Chronic Non-malignant Pain (2008) which can be accessed via the following link (see spotlight)..

This was created to support the Chronic Conditions Management (CCM) Model and Framework published in 2007 and this can be accessed through the link below (see spotlight).

How much was spent on pain management in hospitals in each of the last five years by Health Board.
The Welsh Government does not hold this information. You will need to contact each of the Health Boards in Wales to obtain these figures.

How much has been spent on NHS prescriptions for analgesics by each Health Board in the last five years
The number of prescription items and cost dispensed in the community in Wales by community pharmacies and by dispensing GPs are published annually as the "Prescription Cost Analysis" (PCA) data. The PCA data is provided by individual drug. As prescribing data is complex it is recommended that users of this data refer to the Statistical Release, Explanatory notes and Data Quality Report accompanying the PCA data. It should be noted that a prescription item consists of a quantity of tablets or other preparation. This means that the cost per item does not equate to the cost, for example, per tablet or per pack of tablets but to the average number of packs prescribed per item.

The Prescription Cost Analysis data and accompanying annual Statistical Releases and background information for 2007 to 2011 are available from the following link (see spotlights).

The number of a) inpatient day cases and b) outpatient appointments that have taken place for pain management in each of the last five years by Health Board.
The Welsh Government does not hold this information. The NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) may be able to provide this. Their Freedom of Information Officer can be contacted through the following e-mail: nwis_foirequest@wales.nhs.uk (external site)

Guidance the Welsh Government has issued to GPs regarding the referral of patients to hospital for pain management
The Welsh Government guidance for this can be accessed via the following link (see spotlights):

Details of any benchmarking initiatives the Department has undertaken at a) Health Board and b) national level in each of the last five years to identify best practice in provision of pain management services in Wales.
No benchmarking exercises have been carried out to identify best practice by the Welsh Government’s Department for Health and Social Services.

If you believe that I have not followed the relevant laws, or you are unhappy with this response, you may request an internal review by writing to:

Joanna Jordan
Director
Department for Health, Social Services and Children
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

When dealing with any concerns, we will follow the principles set out in the Welsh Government’s Code of Practice on Complaints which is available on the Internet at www.wales.gov.uk or by post.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. Normally, however, you should provide us with an opportunity to undertake an internal review before you complain to the Information Commissioner.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
Email: casework@ico.gsi.gov.uk

Also, if you think that there has been maladministration in dealing with your request then you may make a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales who can be contacted at:

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
Bridgend
CF35 5LJ

Yours sincerely,

Department for Health, Social Services and Children
Welsh Government