Professor Gary Macfarlane (Epidemiology, IAHS) will be making a presentation at a meeting held in the House of Lords on 25th November 2014.
In 2011 the British Pain Society, Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, Faculty of Pain Medicine and Royal College of General Practitioners held a National Pain Summit bringing together parliamentarians, healthcare professionals, commissioners and patient groups in order to discuss issues affecting chronic pain. The final report was launched in Parliament in July 2012: http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/cppc/research/report-putting-pain-agenda
Over the last two years the four organisations have been working toward implementing one of the report’s four recommendations. Professor Macfarlane was tasked with establishing a pain epidemiology task force, of which Dr. Gareth Jones (Epidemiology, IAHS) is also a member, to provide information on the burden of pain and clinical need. At the meeting he will now update attendees on progress and what further needs to be done to meet the aims of the Summit. The meeting will be chaired by Linda Riordan MP and Lord Luce.