Health board criticised over pain treatment

A health board has been slammed for “verging on scandalous” figures showing just 6 per cent of patients suffering from chronic pain saw a specialist for help within the 18-week waiting time.

In the last three months of 2017, 235 patients had their first appointment at the pain clinic at NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Of those, 14 had been waiting 18 weeks or less – the target set by the Scottish Government – with 221 people waiting longer.

Across Scotland, specialist pain services saw 2,616 new patients in the period October to December last year, with fewer than three-quarters (72.3 per cent) waiting 18 weeks or less for their appointment. Six health boards – NHS Borders, NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian, Nhsorkneyandnhsshetland – managed to see 100 per cent of patients within this time, while NHS Forth Valley saw nine out of ten patients in 18 weeks or less.

Public health minister Aileen Campbell said: “Nationally almost three-quarters of patients referred to a pain clinic were seen within the 18 week standard.

“I welcome this increase in performance on the previous quarter, but we will continue to work with relevant NHS boards to improve performance. To support this we are also undertaking a programme of record investment and reform, backed by a health budget that will increase by almost £2 billion by the end of this parliament.”