Publication - FOI/EIR release

Pain Management Panel and Pain Management Task Force: FOI release

Published: 13 July 2023
Directorate: Healthcare Quality and Improvement Directorate
Topic: Health and social care, Public sector
FOI reference: 202300342230
Date received: 7 February 2023
Date responded: 7 March 2023

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Information requested

1. Under FOISA, regarding moves in 2022-2023 to set up and continue a “Pain Management Panel” on chronic pain, please send all exchanges of emails, letters and notes, between the Scottish Government with The Lines Between research company, including work briefings, and
organisations TLB or Government contacted over this chronic pain panel work and person recruitment.

2. Under FOISA, regarding the “Pain Management Task Force”, which the Scottish Government stated in 2022 “will oversee implementation of the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery”, please send all exchanges of emails, letters and notes between the Scottish Government and others over recruitment of Task Force members; clarify how many “lived experienced” people will be involved and which persons and organisations have been appointed to the Task Force from 2022 to date.

Response

1. Under FOISA, regarding moves in 2022-2023 to set up and continue a “Pain Management Panel” on chronic pain, please send all exchanges of emails, letters and notes, between the Scottish Government with The Lines Between research company, including work briefings, and organisations TLB or Government contacted over this chronic pain panel work and person recruitment.

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested – please see Annex A.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under sections S.38(i)(b) (personal information), S.27(1) (information intended for future publication) and Section 25(1) (information otherwise accessible) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained in Annex C to this letter.

Some of the information you have requested is available on the Scottish Government website at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-pain-management-panel/pages/1/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-pain-management-service-delivery-analysis-responsesconsultation-exercise/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-pain-management-service-delivery-implementationplan/pages/1/

2. Under FOISA, regarding the “Pain Management Task Force”, which the Scottish Government stated in 2022 “will oversee implementation of the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery”, please send all exchanges of emails, letters and notes between the Scottish Government and others over recruitment of Task Force members; clarify how many “lived experienced” people will be involved and which persons and organisations have been appointed to the Task Force from 2022 to date.

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested – please see Annex B.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under sections S30(b)(i) (substantial inhibition of free and frank provision of advice), S30(b)(ii) (substantial inhibition of free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation), S.38(i)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained in Annex C to this letter.

There is one representative of people with lived experience on the Pain Management Task Force, the Chair of the Third-Sector Network.

The following have been appointed to the Pain Management Task Force: Lynne Nicol, Task Force Chair, Deputy Director Healthcare Quality and Improvement, Scottish Government; Unit Head, Clinical Priorities Unit, Scottish Government; Chronic Pain Team Lead, Scottish Government; Chronic Pain Senior Policy Manager, Scottish Government; Chronic Pain Policy Managers, Scottish Government; Rehabilitation Senior Policy Manager, Scottish Government; Realistic Medicine Policy Lead, Scottish Government; AHP Primary Care Advisor, Scottish Government; Associate Clinical Director, NHS Centre for Sustainable Delivery; National Clinical Lead for Chronic Pain; Pain Third-Sector Network Lead; Public Health Scotland Improvement Lead; Pain Medic Network Lead; Pain AHP Network Lead; Pain Pharmacy Network Lead; Pain Service Manager Network Lead; Pain Nurse Network Lead; Pain Psychology Network Lead; Clinical Lead Realistic Medicine; National Pain Framework ImplementationLead.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.