Reducing harm for people with chronic pain by reducing the prescribing of opioids

Contents

— Overview

— Our local programme

— Working together

— Working in partnership with people living with chronic pain

— Using opioid prescribing data for system audit-feedback

— Blogs

Overview

At the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, we developed a local programme across south London in response to the nationally commissioned Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (MedSIP).

The Patient Safety Collaboratives (PSCs) across England have worked with over 50% of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), with the aim to collectively achieve the ambition to improve care for people with persistent (chronic, non-cancer) pain by reducing opioid analgesic use by the end of March 2025.

Through the programme, 414 lives have been saved nationally by reducing use of opioids. Data from September 2022 to July 2023 shows 7,217 fewer people per month were prescribed high-dose opioids compared to the 2021 baseline. As a result of improved care, patients report: a better quality of life; less pain; and less disability.

Our local programme

The HIN worked with various stakeholders to drive improvement in reducing harm for people who are prescribed opioids for their chronic pain (non-cancer). We worked with clinicians across south London through our Opioid Stewardship Quality Improvement Collaborative (2022/23) to deliver projects to make local improvements.

In south London, the approach to improving the management of chronic non-cancer pain has involved:

Working together

Opioid Action Learning set series

We delivered this set series with our local and national partners: the British Pain Society; the European Federation of Pain; the Royal College of General Practitioners; and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

Masterclasses

The masterclasses were delivered to consolidating learning. The focus was on how to support patients prescribed long—term opioids to manage their chronic pain.

Innovation Sprint

We planned an Innovation Sprint in collaboration with colleagues from the South East London Integrated Care Board and across the system widely. We helped identify the key issues they were looking to address within chronic pain, and supported the development of short "Test and Learn" projects to address these. 

Working in partnership with people living with chronic pain

We shared local opioid prescribing data packs with GP practices across south London based on the Campaign to Reduce Opioid Prescribing. 

Find out more about the impact of the evidence-based audit and feedback across general practices in south London.

Using opioid prescribing data for system audit-feedback

At the HIN, we seek to understand, design, and improve the experience of health and care for staff, service users, and patients. We believe that this requires a deeper understanding, using people’s personal experiences to improve things.

Experience-based co-design

As part of this work, we facilitated an experience-based co-design project using the Point of Care Foundation methodology. The project aimed to improve chronic pain management by bringing patients and staff with lived and learnt experiences together to prioritise and co-design solutions as equal partners.

We also created an Experience-based Co-design poster. It provides guidance on how social prescribing link workers can support patients in dealing with persistent, chronic pain.