Pain Management Task Force minutes: October 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Will Wood, (Chair), Long Term Conditions Policy Unit Head, Scottish Government
• Richard Brewster, Senior Policy Manager, Scottish Government
• Sonia Cottom, Pain Association
• Lived Experience Volunteer 1
• Ali MacDonald, Public Health Scotland
• Rory Mackenzie, Centre for Sustainable Delivery
• Lived Experience Volunteer 2
• Tracy Robertson, AHP Network Lead
• Suzanne Saunders, Pain Pharmacy Network Lead
• Linda Sparks, Centre for Sustainable Delivery
• Jacqueline Watson, National Lead for Pain Management

Items and actions

Welcome and apologies

The Chair welcomed attendees. Following Gayle McCann’s departure from her role, the Chair acknowledged Gayle’s contribution on behalf of the group. The Chair introduced Richard Brewster as the new contact for chronic pain in the Long Term Conditions Unit. Richard provided a brief introduction, noting his background in neurological conditions policy.

Minutes of previous meeting

Minutes from 18 June were approved subject to the amendment: Jacquelyn Watson requested her name be correctly recorded.

Implementation progress

The group were provided with updates on the actions in the paper covering Appendixes B1-B18 circulated to the group prior to the meeting.

Chronic Pain information and resources - it was noted that this was linked to other actions and improved pain management. It was agreed that no further action was required at present.

Education - it was reported that the Education group had met on 30 September with the next meeting scheduled towards the end of the year. Progress was reported on education pathways with the group taking steps to agree content.

Public awareness - the Communication pack developed and aligned with Pain Awareness Month was discussed and the group provided mixed feedback on this. There was discussion to bring this item under the remit of the Short-Life Working Group (SLWG) in the future. Suggestions included improvement planning with Third Sector partners, broader communication lenses and channels, particularly around employment and a formal evaluation component through the SLWG.

Specialist services - it was reported that there had not been a Network Managers meeting since the previous Task Force meeting. An update was shared on the vacant clinical psychology post.

Remote healthcare - a meeting had being held the previous day with Programme Management Services at NHS National Services. Limited staff capacity has meant a freeze on remote healthcare pathway builds. An opportunity on a proposal to build a consensus on a core minimum data set and a suggestion on achieving a consensus on outcome measures were put forward. Discussion included use of a dashboard and tools that colleagues were employing. 

Scottish National Pain Management Programme - there had been agreement to link this to Action 6 on pain services. An advert had gone out for a new Clinical Lead.

Interventions - a review by Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) on evidence for interventions is underway and a meeting with the SHTG team had taken place. Stakeholder engagement would be progressed. Publication of the SHTG findings was expected early part of 2026. A further update would be provided at the next meeting.

Workforce - draft workforce guidelines have been shared with the Short Life Working Group (SLWG) with further discussion planned for the next meeting of the Group on 28 October. 

Data - a delay in Grampian data has been resolved with a consensus reached with Public Health Scotland on a way forward and publication of new waiting times data expected in December.

Research - a research agreement was expected to be signed off by end of the year.

Risk Register - it was reported that commissioning-related risk had been reduced from high to medium with SLAs and contracts progressed. Members were invited to provide feedback on other risks.

Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) update

A presentation will be provided for the next meeting of the group. The Chronic Pain Interface Network (CPIN) had held a meeting held 17 September. Topics covered included the primary care chronic pain pathway which had received support, with NHS Lothian seeking to progress a pilot. A number of stakeholder meetings were scheduled. The next CPIN meeting is scheduled for 9 December.

Finance, commissioning and communications

Commissioning was reported as complete. Communications planning was underway for the SHTG review of intervention recommendations and Public Health Scotland data publication in December. Meetings with NHS Boards were progressing, with Dumfries & Galloway and Lanarkshire to be scheduled.

Any other business

No additional items raised.

Date of next meeting

Wednesday 17 December 2025 via Teams.