Service Description: The acute pain team provides a service to inpatients of NDDH. It gives specialist advice on all aspects of advice and management of acute pain. This includes pain after surgery or pain lasting less than 3-6 months – relating to trauma or disease.
The team is made up of a Clinical Nurse Specialist and 1 wte support nurse.
Service Location: The service is offered to all inpatients at North Devon District Hospital that are suffering from acute pain episodes. This includes Paediatrics and Maternity.
The acute pain team provides a service to inpatients of NDDH. It gives specialist advice on all aspects of advice and management of acute pain. This includes pain after surgery or pain lasting less than 3-6 months – relating to trauma or disease.
The team is made up of Lucy Bates Clinical Nurse Specialists, Jennie Walder & Wendy Dale specialist Sisters and Dr Andrew Walder Consultant Anaesthetist who have a special interest in acute pain management. The team also works closely with their colleagues in the Trust pharmacy department.
The main current methods of pain relief used are:-
- Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA is a technique which allows you to administer a small amount of painkiller (usually morphine) using a machine attached to your arm; it is connected to your drip. When you press the button on the PCA machine, a small dose of the painkiller is delivered into your vein.)
- Epidural Analgesia
- Regional Blocks
Patient Information leaflets are available
The service is offered to all inpatients that are suffering from acute pain episodes. This includes Paediatrics and Maternity.
The Acute Pain Team works directly with medical and nursing colleagues at the bedside, to ensure that the techniques employed to manage acute pain are effective and appropriate for the individual patient. In addition the team works hard to ensure that practices that are based on good evidence are incorporated into the Trust guidelines and procedures. All inpatients are able to access this service via any member of their care team.
