PATIENTS suffering high levels of pain have seen their wait for specialist treatment drastically cut thanks to a streamlined service.

Unnecessary referrals had previously seen people spend up to nine months on tests and check-ups before receiving the care they needed.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust launched the Integrated Pain and Spinal Service (IPASS) in a bid to save the NHS more than £200,000 per year and reduce waiting times by 90 per cent.

Patients would regularly wait between seven and nine months for outpatient appointments before the system started.

The average waiting time is now around four weeks, with 92 per cent of patients seen inside six weeks.

Dr Antoni Chan, rheumatology consultant at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, said: “Before the collaborative service was launched, the care of patients living with chronic pain could be disjointed, with each provider managing their own episode of care in isolation to other healthcare colleagues.

“This often led to duplication of information and multiple visits for patients.

“The formation of the Berkshire IPASS has meant that patients are now assessed and receive the most appropriate care earlier on in their treatment plan.

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“The service also offers a range of strategies including back and pain management classes to engage patients in exercise activities and promote self-management of their condition.”

Berkshire IPASS involves a much more collaborative approach between consultants, commissioners and GPs.

Over the course of seven months, there were 800 fewer appointments, resulting in a saving of £264,760.

Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups, leading the change, aim to reduce multiple attendances linked with pain by at least 50 per cent each year.

Dr Rupert Woolley, North and West Reading CCG GP, added: “Making sure patients at risk of chronic pain are identified early and referred to our multi-disciplinary team of specialists for a personalised treatment plan is key to making this work.

“Setting personalised goals to improve their quality of life is very important and monthly meetings and regular touch points are held between members of the multidisciplinary team meaning issues can be resolved quickly.”