Understanding the burden of chronic pain and enhancing service provision through improved pain management

Description of impact

Large-scale epidemiological studies conducted at the University of Aberdeen demonstrated that around 14% of adults report ‘significant chronic pain’. Following this research, the Scottish Government acknowledged that ‘chronic pain should be recognised as a long-term condition in its own right’. With advocacy from Nicola Sturgeon (then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing), the Scottish Chronic Pain Steering Group was convened which, citing Aberdeen work, developed the ‘Scottish Service Model for Chronic Pain’, and GBP1.3m was provided for implementation of these new management pathways. More recent Aberdeen work underpins national guidelines for the management of pain, including from SIGN (Scotland) and NICE (England).

Outcomes to Date / Future Developments

The way in which this Aberdeen research demonstrated the burden of chronic pain in the general population led to a cascade of Government reports and policy initiatives on the issue. By enhancing the underpinning evidence base, both with primary research and systematic reviews, this research influenced health policy and improved how pain services are provided in Scotland.

Impact status	Impact Completed (Open)
Impact date	2000 → 2020
Category of impact	Health and Wellbeing