Background
For patients in Doncaster living with persistent pain, access to secondary care pain services has been limited, with long waits and periods where referrals were closed off entirely. This created a gap in provision and left many patients struggling without timely support.
In response, Pure Unity Health partnered with PCNs across Doncaster to launch a Primary Care Pain Support Service, complementing our First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) service which is embedded in all 6 PCNs. Over the past two years, the service has provided an accessible, community-based alternative, reducing pressure on GPs and bridging the gap in pain management provision.
The Service
- Referrals: 1,544 patients supported since launch.
- Delivery model: Hybrid approach, with the majority of sessions delivered remotely, improving access and reducing DNAs, alongside community-based support.
- Community engagement: Establishment of local Pain Cafés offering peer-led support, education, and a safe space for shared experience.
- Integration: Close collaboration with PCN teams, fully aligned with neighbourhood and ICS priorities.
Outcomes
- Patient activation: Average 40.1% improvement in PSEQ (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire) scores, demonstrating significant increases in patients’ confidence to self-manage.
- Reduced GP demand: 76.5% of patients required no further GP input during the programme and long term follow up demonstrated maintained reduction in GP workload following the programme
- Improved access: Remote-first delivery improved convenience and reduced DNA rates.
- Community resilience: Pain Cafés created sustainable peer networks, reducing isolation and promoting longer-term wellbeing.
- MSK service impact:
- Complexity of patients referred into MSK has significantly reduced, allowing the service to work more effectively within scope.
- Waiting times have been dramatically reduced as a result of pressure being relieved by the pain support pathway.
Summary
The Doncaster Pain Support Service shows the value of a proactive, hybrid model that integrates across primary care.
By filling the gap left by restricted access to secondary care pain clinics, the service has:
- Delivered measurable improvements in patient confidence and wellbeing.
- Reduced demand on GPs and improved MSK efficiency.
- Dramatically cut MSK waiting times by diverting and better managing complex cases.
- Strengthened community capacity through peer-led Pain Cafés.
This case study highlights how embedding pain support within PCNs not only transforms patient outcomes but also improves the whole MSK pathway and wider system performance.
Feedback
“From a PCN perspective, the Chronic Pain Support service has significantly helped patients in our PCN manage their long-term pain conditions. The service is efficient and provides high-quality care, with clear and consistent communication throughout. The data collected is robust, allowing us to track progress and outcomes effectively. Overall, the service has been invaluable in supporting our patients and enhancing their overall well-being.” Kat Phillips – PCN manager Doncaster South PCN
“The pain support team have been great and Kelcie has helped me in many ways by referring me to other services to help me understand my pain more and get more help with the pain. She has been there to listen and help me when I needed it, and she was very comforting and easy to talk to. She gave me many tools to build a toolkit to try and help with the pain. She is a credit to the team.” Patient from Doncaster
“The service and my coach really helped me to become more positive about my pain and life. I would recommend it very much.” Patient from Doncaster
