As well as Pain News and the British Journal of Pain, the British Pain Society aims to produce contemporary guidance, supported by available evidence, on clinical and other pain matters. Documents are updated three yearly to incorporate relevant new information.
The following publications are available to download in PDF format.
Developed in collaboration with the Association of Anaesthetists, these guidelines are designed to improve outcomes for patients undergoing surgery by providing a comprehensive, patient-centred approach to pain management.
Why it matters: Nearly half of all adults undergoing surgery experience significant pain postoperatively, which can delay recovery and impact quality of life. Our guidelines offer evidence-based strategies to manage pain effectively and safely throughout the peri-operative period.
Who is it for?: These guidelines are intended for healthcare professionals, including anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses, and pain specialists, to implement in their practice. Hospitals and healthcare institutions can also benefit by adopting these guidelines to ensure the highest standards of care.
What’s new?: Key recommendations include the use of multimodal analgesia, patient-centred care strategies, and the establishment of dedicated pain teams in every hospital.
Guidance developed by the Pain Management Programme Special Interest Group of the British Pain Society January 2022
Pain Management Services are considering alternatives to traditional Pain Management Programmes (PMPs) as a result of restrictions on face-to-face (F2F) healthcare delivery in response to Covid-19. This document provides guidance in relation to the development, delivery and evaluation of virtual alternatives to PMPs, incorporating learning from early adopters.
We’re excited to announce the release of guidelines from the Psychologists in Pain Neuromodulation (PiPiN) network for psychological assessment and intervention in pain neuromodulation services! Developed by leading experts in the field, these guidelines are designed to enhance patient outcomes by providing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to psychological care in neuromodulation.
Why it matters:
Psychological factors are critical in determining the success of neuromodulation procedures. By addressing these factors, healthcare professionals can significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce postoperative complications, and enhance overall well-being. Our guidelines offer evidence-based strategies to integrate psychological care throughout the neuromodulation process.
The British Pain Society have launched a set of recommended Outcome Measures, designed to assess and drive up the quality of patient care. A joint project between the BPS and The Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FPM), the document offers valuable guidance on available outcome measures used by pain services.
The British Pain Society along with the British Geriatrics Society and the Royal College of Nursing have produced new guidelines for assessing pain in older adults. You can read this in the latest copy of Age and Ageing.
A Practical Guide to Incorporating Pain Education into Pre-registration Curricula for Healthcare Professionals in the UK (2018)
This interprofessional guide contains core curriculum outcomes for pain education with advice and examples of how to implement this in practice.
This update aims to include recent evidence base of ITDD use in pain and spasticity, address the issues of drug pump compatibility following the latest manufacturer/MHRA recommendations as well as provide an update on the indications and complication management particularly endocrine complications and intrathecal granuloma formation.
This publication includes the information pamphlet 'Intrathecal drug delivery systems for treating pain and spasms - Information for patients'. (Please go to the patient publications section to view a copy).
This resource, developed by UK healthcare professionals and policymakers, provides the information to support a safe and effective prescribing decision. Please note Opioids Aware is a web-based resource, funded by Public Health England and hosted by the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Royal College of Anaesthetists. It can be accessed here: http://www.fpm.ac.uk/faculty-of-pain-medicine/opioids-aware
A publication by the Royal College of Nursing, endorsed by the British Pain Society.
An evidence-based review prepared on behalf of the British Pain Society.
This publication includes the information pamphlet Participant Information for Pain Management Programmes. (Please go to the patient publications section to view a copy).
A guide for professionals working in custody settings, to support best practice in diagnosing, assessing and managing the symptoms of persistent pain among prisoners, published by Public Health England (PHE). The guide has been written in association with the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Pain Society, and is supported by the Department of Health.
Management of Pain in Older People, is an evidence-based clinical guideline published jointly by the British Pain Society and the British Geriatrics Society.
To view a copy, please visit: http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/42/suppl_1.toc
This document summarises the views of the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) and the British Pain Society in relation to the use of drugs outside of their UK marketing authorisation beyond their product licence in clinical practice. The publication has recently been reviewed in accordance with the Society’s publication review policy.
This publication includes the information pamphlet Use of medicines outside of their UK marketing authorisation in pain management and palliative medicine - information for patients. (Please go to the patient publications section to view a copy).
You can download a copy of the 2012 document, free of charge, by following this link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pan.2012.22.issue-s1/issuetoc
April 2014 update: The joint BPS/APM Cancer Pain Working Party chairs have considered the review of this existing document and find the information to still be valid. The publication will next be reviewed in late 2014
A perspective from the British Pain Society, supported by the Association for Palliative Medicine and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
This publication includes the information pamphlet Managing Cancer Pain - information for patients. (Please go to the patient publications section to view a copy).
A publication by the Royal College of Nursing, endorsed by the British Pain Society can be downloaded, free of charge, from the Royal College of Nursing website at: https://www2.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/269185/003542.pdf
The Chair of the publication working group has considered the review of this publication and as no new evidence is currently available the guidelines still stand. The publication will next be reviewed in Spring 2015
This consensus document, produced in conjunction with the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, clarifies the rationale for the use of spinal cord stimulation for pain, gives guidance regarding patient selection, and makes recommendations regarding the context in which therapy should be delivered.
This publication includes the information pamphlet Spinal cord stimulation for pain - Information for patients. (Please go to the patient publications section to view a copy).
Pain Mechanisms DVD (available as hard copy only) (2008)
Available on CD (at £6.60 each) from the Secretariat ' An introduction to the neurophysiology of pain, peripheral and central mechanisms by Professor Anthony Dickenson. Introduced by Dr Joan Hester.'
These guidelines were launched, with cardiology, respiratory, older person, diabetes at a Department of Health meeting on Wednesday 17th September 2008.
PLEASE NOTE THIS GUIDELINE IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW
A joint publication produced by the Royal College of Physicians, the British Geriatrics Society and the BPS.
A copy of the full report can be found on the British Geriatrics Society website by clicking here.
**PLEASE NOTE THIS GUIDELINE IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW**
Copies of this document are available to downloaded free of charge by clicking the image. This publication includes the information pamphlet Pain and problem drug use - information for patients (please go to the patient pages in the publication section).
The Use of Contrast Agents in Interventional Pain Procedures: A Multispecialty and Multisociety Practice Advisory on Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, Gadolinium Deposition in the Brain, Encephalopathy After Unintentional Intrathecal Gadolinium Injection, and Hypersensitivity Reactions
