Hospital talk on managing pain

The Northern Care Alliance Group will be hosting a free talk at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Thursday, April 26

The Northern Care Alliance Group will be hosting a free talk on ‘Pain: what is it and what can be done?’ at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Thursday, April 26.  

Local people can find out more about pain and its management at a free public talk.

There are two main types of pain:

• Acute pain, also known as short-term pain, is pain that has started recently.
• Chronic or long-term pain, is pain that has lasted for three months or more.

These have different causes and different impacts on peoples’ lives, and require different approaches to treatment. Acute pain has been described as ‘the fifth vital sign’, and its assessment and management as important as that of the traditional observations of temperature, heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure.

Many people struggle with long-term pain. But self-help, together with help from GPs and pain services can lessen the pain, improve independence and help people cope in general. 

Dr Janet Barrie and Sister Jane Sansby, who will be giving the talk, will provide an update on the nature of the different types of pain and their consequences, as well as outlining the range of treatments and services available within the Trust to help pain to be controlled as optimally as possible.

Dr Barrie said “Pain is a symptom which we have all experienced at some point in our lives.

"However, pain is not a simple entity but has a range of causes, impacts and consequences for peoples’ treatment and wellbeing.

"The implications of acute, postoperative pain are very different to those of chronic, long term pain or pain secondary to cancer, and require very different approaches.

"This talk will explore these, with ample opportunity for questions and interaction.”

The talk will be held April 26, between 2-3pm in Room G17, the Education Centre, the Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Road. 

All are welcome to attend. To book your place contact Angela Greenwood on 01706 517302 or email: membership@pat.nhs.uk

The event is free and is one of a series of ‘Medicine for Members’ events arranged to give the public and the Group’s public members a greater insight into their local hospital and the services it provides.

So far, more than 12,500 people have signed up to become members.