§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has regarding the number of national health service hospitals that have a pain management team for cancer patients; and if every nationl health service hospital treating cancer patients has a pain relief consultant;
(2) what information he has regarding the number of national health service hospitals with a specific person responsible for pain relief post-operatively;
(3) if he will estimate the national health service personnel, time and funds available to relieve postoperative pain;
(4) how many national health service hospitals have a policy for managing post-operative pain;
(5) what information he has regarding the number of national health service in-patient beds allocated for pain relief investigation and management; and by what percentage the figure has changed in the last five years;
(6) if he will list the pain relief facilities possessed by each national health service region, including comprehensive pain clinics and hospices;
(7) what studies have been carried out by his Department of American pain management programmes; how many such programmes there are in national health service hospitals; and what information he has regarding the cost effectiveness of such programmes;
(8) what information he has regarding the number of hours per week devoted to the relief of chronic pain in national health service hospitals;
(9) what information he has on the number of national health service in-patient beds allocated for pain relief investigation and management;
(10) if he will request national health service regions, when allocating funds to district health authorities, to require them to identify resources being used for pain relief;
(11) what guidance he has given to the national health service regions regarding provision for pain relief; if he monitors such provision; and what additional funding he has provided for it.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyInformation about numbers of beds, financial and staffing resources allocated to the investigation and management of pain including postoperative pain is not held centrally. All medical and nursing staff will wish to relieve pain experienced by their patients. It is for health authorities acting upon the advice of clinicians to determine the level of pain relief services they consider necessary to meet the needs of their populations and make suitable arrangements for such provision. In doing so, they will wish to take into account the report of the joint working party on pain after surgery published by the Royal College of Surgeons and College of Anaesthetists in September 1990, a copy of which is available in the Library. Study of American pain management programmes and evaluation and adoption of that or any other pain management programme is first for the medical profession.