People suffering with chronic pain are being denied NHS treatment or kicked off NHS waiting lists in growing numbers, official figures have revealed.
The number of patients being refused treatment has almost doubled, while hundreds more are being removed from NHS waiting lists for undisclosed reasons.
In 2017, around 400 people were denied treatment every quarter, but in the last three months almost 800 were turned away, according to Public Health Scotland stats published last week.
Over the same period, the number of people being removed from NHS waiting lists has also increased by more than a third, to 1,874.
Health boards are increasingly using the generic term “other”, as the reason for removing people from waiting lists, rather than the extensive list of standard explanations.
Meanwhile, the number of patients being seen for a chronic pain appointment has plummeted, from more than 2,500 in each quarter of 2018 to around 2,000 in each of the last four quarters.
Shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the “intolerable” figures were “symptomatic of an NHS at breaking point due to SNP mismanagement”.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “These figures are simply intolerable.
“Chronic pain takes an enormous toll on patients and causes huge distress – not just physically, but mentally too.
“Suffering patients need to be seen as quickly as possible, and yet these stats show that the number being denied treatment is rising sharply, as is the number being thrown off waiting lists altogether.
“We particularly need to know why so many more patients are now being removed from lists for undisclosed reasons, not least for the peace of mind of anyone suffering from chronic pain.
“Like so many other health metrics, chronic pain is moving in the wrong direction – and that’s symptomatic of an NHS at breaking point due to SNP mismanagement.
“The number of patients being seen for chronic pain has plummeted over the last five years. That’s unacceptable, and it’s down to the appalling workforce planning of successive Nationalist health secretaries, including Humza Yousaf.
“Michael Matheson must get a grip of the chronic pain crisis in Scotland’s NHS if suffering patients are to see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Notes
The number of people being rejected for chronic pain treatment has almost doubled since 2017. In the quarter ending September 2017, 403 people had their referral rejected for chronic pain treatment, compared to 771 in the quarter ending March 2023. (Chronic pain waiting times, 13 June 2023, link).
The number of patients being removed from chronic pain waiting lists since 2017 has increased by 36%. In the quarter ending September 2017, 1,378 patients were removed from chronic pain waiting lists, compared to 1,874 in the quarter ending March 2023. (Chronic pain waiting times, 13 June 2023, link).
The number of chronic pain patients being seen has declined by 27.7% since 2018. An average of 2,730 patients were seen in 2018, compared to an average of 1,974 across the last four quarters. (Chronic pain waiting times, 13 June 2023, link).
The number of patients being removed from chronic pain lists due to ‘other reasons’ has increased by 48% since the pandemic. In the quarter ending December 2019, only 847 patients were removed for ‘other’ reasons. By quarter ending March 2023, this had increased to 1,255. (Chronic pain waiting times, 13 June 2023, link).