The British Pain Society (BPS) is a multidisciplinary community that brings together a diverse group of
clinicians
A clinician is a health care professional typically employed at a skilled nursing facility or clinic. Clinicians work directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher. A clinician may diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for pat ...
,
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
s,
physiotherapist
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
s,
scientist
A scientist is a person who conducts Scientific method, scientific research to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences.
In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, ...
s, patients, and other professionals to improve the knowledge of
pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...
, and implement new public policies and
clinical practice
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practice ...
s to alleviate pain-related suffering. The society was founded in 1967. The BPS has a wide range of activities, from setting standards in clinical care, offering conferences, meetings, courses for special interest groups as well as publishing the ''British Journal of Pain''. Patients are also actively involved with the work of the society.
Services
Booklets and other resources are available for people living with pain as well as an informative website available to the public to ensure that patients are aware of
pain management
Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain (pain relief, analgesia, pain control) in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals pr ...
services and about their pain. A patient liaison committee was created in 2001 to act in an advisory capacity to the Council of the British Pain Society to ensure that the views of patients are represented within the Society. The committee works to improve patient information within the society and at least one member of the committee is invited to sit on each publication working party.
British Pain Society as a multidisciplinary team
Dr. Andrew Diamond (former President) was instrumental in opening membership, allowing professionals who were not clinicians to be able to join and run the Society. Professor Paul Watson (a physiotherapist) notes that he was the first non-medical professional to be part of the Pain Society Council,
and he later served as Chairs of the Education Committee and Scientific Committee, eventually becoming the President of the BPS in 2009. Today, there are hundreds of members from different specialties.
British Pain Society publications
''British Journal of Pain''
''British Journal of Pain'' is the official journal of the British Pain Society. It is a peer reviewed quarterly British journal with an international multidisciplinary editorial board. The journal publishes original research and reviews on all major aspects of pain and
pain management
Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain (pain relief, analgesia, pain control) in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals pr ...
.
Other publications
As well as the ''British Journal of Pain'', the society publishes Pain News, pain management guidelines, booklets for patients, pain scales in multiple languages that are downloadable and E-pain. Pain News is published quarterly to members updating events and latest updates in pain management. E-pain is an online platform that allows any
health care professional
A health professional, healthcare professional, or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physician (su ...
s who wish to better understand and manage pain. It is free to all
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
staff members. There are eleven modules covering wide range of topics from acute to
chronic pain
Chronic pain is classified as pain that lasts longer than three to six months. In medicine, the distinction between Acute (medicine), acute and Chronic condition, chronic pain is sometimes determined by the amount of time since onset. Two commonly ...
,
pathophysiology
Pathophysiology ( physiopathology) – a convergence of pathology with physiology – is the study of the disordered physiological processes that cause, result from, or are otherwise associated with a disease or injury. Pathology is the ...
, and basic science bulletins, as well as specific modules such as
cancer pain
Pain in cancer may arise from a tumor compressing or infiltrating nearby body parts; from treatments and diagnostic procedures; or from skin, nerve and other changes caused by a hormone imbalance or immune response. Most chronic (long-lasting) pai ...
and
pediatric
Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
pain. These e-learning modules are shared on e-learning
anaesthesia
Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prevention of pain), paralysis (muscle relaxation), am ...
(e-LA). The British Pain Society has also been involved in developing national guidelines such as
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in England that publishes guidelines in four areas:
* the use of health technologies withi ...
(NICE).
History
Key milestones in BPS history
* 10 Nov 1967 – First meeting of what is now known as the British Pain Society (then called The Pain Group), organised by Dr Mark Swerlaw. Annual meetings were held thereafter.
* 1971 – The Pain Group constituted into the Intractable Pain Society (IPS) of Great Britain and Ireland. A formal constitution was adopted. At this time it was for doctors (
Consultant
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
s) only. This was the first professional society in the world devoted to Pain.
* 1979 – The IPS of Great Britain and Ireland was registered as a
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
.
* 1987 – The IPS expanded membership to all health and research disciplines for the first time,
paving the way for a
merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
with the existing British Chapter of the
International Association for the Study of Pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is an international learned society promoting research, education, and policies for the understanding, prevention, and treatment of pain. IASP was founded in 1973 under the leadership of ...
(IASP) and becoming the Pain Society, the British Chapter of the IASP (see below)
* 1988 – The Intractable Pain Society changed its name to the Pain Society for the first time (this was then reversed by the Council one year later, to be reincorporated a decade later)
* 1989 – The Pain Society became a chapter of the IASP with the European Federation of Chapters of the IASP formed soon after
* 1994-1997 – Professor Kate Seers was elected as a co-opted Council member, and as such was the first nursing member of the council. Alongside Dr. Beverly Collett, they were the first women on the council.
* 1994 – Pain Medicine was formally recognised as the specialty within anaesthesia
* 2004 – The Pain Society was renamed The British Pain Society (BPS)
* 2007 – The Faculty of Pain Medicine of the
Royal College of Anaesthetists
The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia throughout the United Kingdom. It sets standards in anaesthesia, critical care, pain management, and for the training of anaestheti ...
was formed. This was aimed specifically at medically qualified pain specialists.
Detailed BPS history
The first incarnation of the BPS was under the title of the Pain Group, which subsequently became the Intractable Pain Society of Great Britain and Ireland (IPSGBI) in 1967, with its members being
anaesthetist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...
s, thus predating the foundation of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), which was founded in 1973. Over time the membership of the society changed to become multidisciplinary and ultimately became known by its current BPS title in 2004. According to Dr William Campbell (former President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary), IASP stated that any pain society in the world must be multidisciplinary and follow the aims and objectives of IASP. Then the society was renamed as The Pain Society (of GB and Ireland). Later, when the Irish members broke away to form their own organization, the Irish Pain Society in 2001, the society ultimately became the British Pain Society (BPS).
Pain relief clinics that focused primarily on
nerve block
Nerve block or regional nerve blockade is any deliberate interruption of signals traveling along a nerve, often for the purpose of pain relief. Local anesthetic nerve block (sometimes referred to as simply "nerve block") is a short-term block, u ...
s were pioneered in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the 1930s. The concept spread to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
post
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, with the first of these being set up in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
, and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in 1947. Over the next two decades these evolved into more multidisciplinary clinics and by 1967 there were approximately 29 doctors (typically anaesthetists) working in this field in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. On 10 November 1967, the first ever meeting of the society took place at the Salford Postgraduate Medical Institute,
University of Salford
, caption = Coat of ArmsUniversity of Salford
, mottoeng = "Let us seek higher things"
, established = 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute 1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford 1967 – gained ...
, UK. This meeting was organised by Dr M Swerdlow and was appointed as the first Chairman of the society, with Dr Mark Churcher and Dr J Challenger being appointed as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. There were 16 founding members, including Prof Sir Michael Bond, Dr Mark Mehta, Prof Birkenham, Dr R Maher and Dr Sam Lipton. Other early members included Prof Iggo, Dr J Hannington-Kiss, Dr John Lloyd, Dr Hugh Raftery, Dr Keith Budd and Dr T Hardy.
According to Dr William Campbell, the society was established to attempt to prevent the development of persistent pain without the use of
opioid
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid us ...
s. Early members were mostly anaesthetists, but also included physicians such as Dr R Maher who pioneered the use of
intrathecal
Intrathecal administration is a route of administration for drugs via an injection into the spinal canal, or into the subarachnoid space so that it reaches the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and is useful in spinal anesthesia, chemotherapy, or pain man ...
phenol
Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...
for cancer pain. It was felt at the time that the society could be considered as a meeting of minds for likeminded individuals.
Controversy
In 2009, President Professor Paul Watson was asked to step down in relation to the controversy surrounding the disputed
NICE
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
guidelines for low back pain. A petition was gathered by Dr Chris Wells (current EFIC president) in order to generate an extraordinary general meeting regarding a perceived presidential
conflict of interest
A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates to situations i ...
between the society and NICE. A
vote of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
was carried out, and a narrow majority voted against Prof Paul Watson remaining as president. Professor Watson had spent over a decade working for the society setting up Annual Scientific Meetings. In his resignation letter, Professor Watson wrote: "If there is anything that I can help the society with please don't be afraid to contact me."
In recognition of his exceptional contribution and dedication to the BPS, Professor Paul Watson was awarded the Honorary Membership of the British Pain Society at Annual Scientific Meeting held in May 2017.
The unprecedented sequence of events left the society without a president and former president Professor Sir Michael Bond was appointed as
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
president in order to maintain stability. Prof Sir Michael Bond had not been involved personally in the events. At the time, Professor Sir Michael Bond is reported to have stated 'We deplore the blogs which vilified Paul and which were offensive to your Society and the profession of physiotherapy.'
The following year Prof Richford Langford was voted in as president by the membership. 2010 also saw changes in UK government and a controversial reorganization of health service by
Andrew Lansley
Andrew David Lansley, Baron Lansley, (born 11 December 1956) is a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who previously served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Secretary of State for Health and Leader of the H ...
followed, which saw a greater emphasis on primary care via the setting up of new Clinical Commissioning Groups. Professor Langford, in conjunction with Drs Price, Johnson, and Baranowski, as well as over 70 colleagues, had a key role in developing Pain Management Pathways via Map of Medicine in response to the NICE guidelines, which were viewed by many Pain Specialists as significantly flawed.
During the years that followed, the BPS had a pivotal role in the National Pain Audit Report carried out by Dr Cathy Price and Dr Stephen Ward in conjunction with the
Dr Foster organization. The report discussed the impact of pain and drew on data related to nearly 10,000 new attendees at pain clinics nationally and the accessibility to multidisciplinary care. In addition, the then BPS journal Pain Reviews was reborn as the British Journal of Pain (BJP) under Prof Felicia Cox. The new BJP publishing original pain-related research under the auspices of a professional publishing house. Following a governmental Pain Summit in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
organized by the BPS, the RCoA Faculty of Pain Medicine, the RCGP and the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition. Following the Pain Summit, pain related questions were included in the
Health Survey for England (HSE) for the first time. The BPS worked in partnership with the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, to devise questions for this snapshot survey of the nation's health.
The society is also actively promoting the wider education of health professionals in relation to pain management. In conjunction with the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FPMRCoA), the society is involved in encouraging the implementation of the EPM Lite teaching method to UK medical schools nationally. This was first taught in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
and adopted shortly after at other leading medical schools such as
Imperial College London
Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
.
50th anniversary
In 2017 the British Pain Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary (founded in 1967). The Annual Scientific Meeting was held from 3 to 5 May 2017. As amalgamation with the British Pain Society to initiate awareness, there will be a group of cycling enthusiasts cycling from London to the annual scientific meeting in Birmingham in a fund-raising campaign.
Pain News published in March 2017 summarises the history and evolution of the Society and contains interviews with past presidents including Dr Tim Nash, Professor
Michael Bond
Thomas Michael Bond (13 January 1926 – 27 June 2017) was a British author. He is best known for a series of fictional stories for children, featuring the character of Paddington Bear. More than 35 million Paddington books have been sold ...
, Dr Douglas Justin, Professor Paul Watson, Dr Joan Hester, Professor Richard Langford and Dr William Campbell.
Affiliations with other organisations
The British Pain Society is affiliated with the
International Association for the study of Pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is an international learned society promoting research, education, and policies for the understanding, prevention, and treatment of pain. IASP was founded in 1973 under the leadership of ...
as well as the
Royal College of Anaesthetists
The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia throughout the United Kingdom. It sets standards in anaesthesia, critical care, pain management, and for the training of anaestheti ...
and the
Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland
The Association of Anaesthetists, in full the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI), is a professional association for anaesthetists in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It was founded by Dr Henry Featherstone in 193 ...
. The society is also a National Chapter of the
European Pain Federation, commonly known as the European Federation of Individual Chapters (EFIC).
References
External links
*https://www.britishpainsociety.org
{{improve categories, date=July 2021
1979 establishments in the United Kingdom