Pain Management Task Force minutes: June 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Richard Brewster (RB), Chair, Scottish Government
• Prof Sonia Cottom, Pain Association Scotland
• Anna Graham, Psychology Lead Network
• Craig Kennedy, Scottish Government and Secretariat
• Rory Mackenzie, Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD)
• Samantha Mason, Pain Concern Scotland
• Lived experience representative
• Judith Rafferty, Lead Advanced Nurse Specialist
• Tracy Robertson, Pain Allied Health Professions (AHP) Network Lead
• Stephanie Rodger‑Phillips, Scottish Government
• Suzanne Saunders, Pain Pharmacy Network Lead
• Anne Wallace, Scottish Government, AHP Professional Advisor
• Lyn Watson, National Clinical Lead for Pain Management
• Lars Williams, Pain Medic Network Lead

Apologies

• Aline Williams, Pain Service Manager
• Jill Maclean, Pain Pharmacy Network Deputy
• Kieran Dunwoodie, General Practitioner (CfSD)
• Mary McCallum, Pain Psychology Network Deputy

Items and actions

Welcome & apologies

The Chair welcomed attendees and noted apologies.

Approval of minutes & matters arising

Minutes from 15 April 2026 were approved by the Task Force.

The Chair informed the membership that he is looking to invite Professor Lesley Colvin to speak about her chronic pain prevalence algorithm work at a future meeting in 2026.

The National Clinical Lead continues to work with Public Health Scotland on more consistent definitions of ‘triage’ for their waiting times data to ensure clarity for the NHS workforce who analyse the data.

Scottish Government update

The Scottish Government is developing advice for Ministers on long term conditions policy. Officials are carefully considering the recommendations received from the advisory groups set up in February 2026.

Key updates

Interventions

The Chief Medical Officer has supported the intention to progress a short life working group to develop clinical consensus around provision of chronic pain interventions following the publication of Scottish Health Technology Group’s (SHTG) recommendations. The arrangements to set this up are progressing.

 

Workforce Group

The Workforce Group's paper on a minimal viable sustainable service model has been circulated to Networks for comment, with feedback expected by the end of June. An updated version is expected to be ready by September.

Education

The Chair confirmed to members that the Scottish Government was finalising a commission for the Education Network Lead to develop and complete the development of ‘enhanced’ and ‘specialist’ e-modules for TURAS, subject to final budgetary approval.

Nurse Competency Framework

Scottish Government officials are seeking to engage with Public Service Delivery Scotland to establish their capacity to support this work.

Attendees recognised the need for competency frameworks to align with other nursing career frameworks and to support effective training and careers for pain management nursing although there may be opportunities for wider multiprofessional frameworks that included AHPs and aligns to the education resource that was currently being developed

ACTION: Meeting with PDSD Transforming Roles team to be arranged to discuss further and Scottish Government’s AHP Professional Advisor agreed to find out more information on multi-professional networks and feed in if appropriate.

Core Minimum Data Set

The National Lead and Scottish Government will soon reach out to nominated leads after identifying suitable contacts in all territorial health boards. The first meeting of this group expected to take place in late August.

ACTION: Organise a meeting date for a short life working group on core minimum data at the end of August 2026.

National Referral Pathway

The National Clinical Lead is working with a service manager at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde after the Board proposed a ‘Once for Scotland’ referral guideline. This will ensure parity of access to the Scottish National Pain Management Service for people with persistent pain across Scotland. NHS GGC are to meet NHS Scotland’s National Services Division to explore options.

Global Pain Awareness Month

The Allied Health Professions Lead provided an update on preparation for Global Pain Awareness Month in September 2026. Attendees considered how best to work with Communications colleagues to measure impact and engagement with the campaign and potential opportunities to convey positive messages around living well with chronic pain, building on input from those with living experience. The group noted that individual Boards may wish to build on the national comms and tailor messaging appropriate to their local populations.

ACTION: Once messaging agreed, AHP Lead will send Task Force members a copy of the key messages that will be publicised prior to September.

Networking Event – 18 September

A full face-to-face event is no longer possible. Scottish Government offered to support the delivery of a virtual event during Global Pain Awareness Month. The National Clinical Lead advised that all Networks would hold an in-person meeting during this period.

ACTION: Network Leads to consider what appetite there would be for a virtual event, and what the focus should be, and share with Scottish Government officials ahead of the next meeting by the end of July.

Chronic Pain Work Plan 

Scottish Government officials talked to the paper circulated ahead of the meeting which provided an update on work in progress, to meet the actions in the Framework for Pain Management Services between now and September.

AOCB

No other business was raised.

Date of next meeting:

Wed 19 August 2026, 11:00 - 12:00