The new community based Tier 2 chronic pain management service will provide a therapy-based, integrated service that makes a multi-disciplinary, person centred assessment and determines appropriate management according to the impact and severity of pain. The service will be the access point for people with chronic pain who require more support than can be offered in primary care.

This service will be for patients registered with a GP in the Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group area.

The Tier 2 chronic pain service will;

— Provide a model of care outlined in the NHS Kirklees Chronic Pain pathway, as a minimum standard.

— Provide clinical leadership, supervision and governance, ensuring systems are in place to monitor the quality of clinical practice and meet standards set in line with local and national guidance.

— Ensure ongoing training and professional development that ensures the service continues to meet the specification, as well as national and local standards.

— Provide a local service easily accessible by patients with referrals seen within agreed Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group standard times.

— Achieve patient focused health outcomes, particularly gaining confidence in use of self management skills or their own health and pain condition.

— Contribute to improving the pain pathway in the long term, working closely with all stakeholders.

— Deliver a high quality, value for money service that has sustainable consistent delivery with measurable performance management.

The service model and specification have been developed with full representation from commissioning partners, with clinical support on a specialist level from pain specialists from acute trusts & NHS Kirklees Clinical Lead.

The service specification when fully implemented, will achieve a higher standard of care for people with chronic pain, a need identified from Kirklees Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and from consultation with service users with chronic pain.

The model stipulates the procurement of 3 community based chronic pain services based in different locations across the Huddersfield area. These will be bookable through Choose and Book. This will increase access and choice for patients as due to the current setup of the pilot service, community chronic pain services are only available in one area for one session per week.

This service is being commissioned on behalf of the Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Executive.