As part of larger Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) developments at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), and based at Montagu Hospital, a purpose built Pain Management Unit (PMU) has been created, and is now located on the ground floor next the outpatient department.
For some patients, there is no cure for long-term painful conditions and these can often persist for the duration of that person’s life. Once referred, patients will be asked to attend for an assessment appointment with either a consultant pain physician or a physiotherapy practitioner specialising in chronic pain to determine the most appropriate intervention for them.
The PMU currently receives around 50 referrals per week from GPs and support around 2,500 patients per year. The service is staffed by consultants, nurses, therapists and other health professionals, and offers interventions such as:
• Sacroilliac joint injections
• Medical branch block
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Nerve blocks
• Epidural injections
• Trigger Point Injections
• Acupuncture for tension headaches
• Analgesia medication review clinics
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Medication Reviews
The PMU officially moved to the new area in March.
Ailsa Woodhouse, Lead Nurse for the Pain Team at DBTH, said: “We are over the moon with our new unit, and we are happy to welcome our patients to this purpose-built area.
“Our service offers much needed support to those individuals living with chronic pain. With our new home, we hope to improve their experience with us, as well as further enhance the care and treatment we provide.”
In 2021, Montagu Hospital was selected to host one of a pair of ‘Community Diagnostic Centres’ (CDCs) within South Yorkshire, with an overall ambition to improve access to diagnostic tests and treatment for illnesses such as cancer.
Since that time, the Trust has received additional funding of £9 million, and £16 million, to add additional facilities, with the PMU being developed as part of the overall project as services are moved around the site to accommodate further developments.
Following the creation of the new PMU, as per current plans, construction on a new endoscopy suite has begun, and will be placed within the former PMU, while a new imaging suite will be built to the rear of the Mexborough site as well as an elective orthopaedic centre which will carry out surgeries.