Chronic pain waiting list grew by 7.7% in early 2022

The list of patients waiting for their first appointment at a chronic pain clinic grew by 7.7% in the first three months of the year, the latest figures show.

Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows there were 3,186 patients waiting for their first appointment on March 31, compared to 2,957 on December 31.

The waiting list has risen over the last year and is 36.4% higher than the same point in 2021.

However the waiting list remains lower than pre-pandemic, when on average just under 5,000 patients were waiting at the end of each quarter.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that carries on for longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment.

During the first three months of 2022, 4,852 patients were referred to a chronic pain clinic, a similar figure to the previous quarter.

There were 2,122 patients seen at a consultant-led chronic pain clinic during this period.

The PHS report noted that some NHS boards are now offering alternative pathways to patients than consultant-led clinics, and that they were removed from the waiting list if they took up this offer.