"Excellent service"

NHS Highland Chronic Pain Management Services

I was referred to this service after a life threatening illness which left me with constant nerve pain. I waited a long time to see a specialist physio but was sent an appointment to see the nurse which actually turned out to be the better option. I felt supported and listened to. I signed up to do a course to help deal with pain and I also managed to come off all pain meds by slowly reducing under the supervision of the nurse.

The course was great and I use techniques learned on a daily basis as well as understand more about pain and how to help myself. The nurse also referred me to the Psychologist for specialist help with PTSD. She is also great - kind, supportive and listens. I am on a waiting list for this but in the meantime have been given tools I can use to keep me going. I know the waiting lists are long and initially I wondered how I was going to cope but the staff are doing their best with very little resources for the amount of people that need their help. More money and staff are needed for this service to help patients live with their pain and have the best quality of life they can. NHS Highland please give more money to this service and realise that if you invest in this, less patients will need painkillers, saving money and will need less visits to overstretched GPs and A&E Departments, also saving money.