Policy Connect
Policy Connect publishes its Chronic Pain Manifesto for the General Election 2017. Produced by the organisation's Pain and Health Team, and compromising the expertise of different independent industry figureheads, our group consists of cross-party parliamentarians and cross-sectoral industry experts.
Based on our work, these should be the chronic pain priorities for the new Government:
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Chronic pain patients, particularly users of opioid painkillers such as morphine, should have an annual check with a healthcare professional to discuss their needs and medication - A Chronic Pain Policy Coalition patient survey in conjunction with TalkHealth found that approximately a quarter of those surveyed said that they had not been reviewed by a healthcare professional, with 12% reporting they had never been reviewed. This demonstrates the need for clearer communication and greater levels of trust between patient and doctor.
- Improving Lives Greenpaper should be taken forward in the new Government - Amongst DH and DWP enabled programmes, the Fit for Work (FfW) scheme and contained Occupational Therapies (OTs), should become more flexible in order to ensure full utilisation of the OT skillset. To this end, FfW should be linked in local communities.
You can find Policy Connect's full manifesto asks here
