Commission NICE to Review Guidelines on Chronic Pain (Published April 2021)
- Parliament:
- 2019–24
- Signatures:
- 15,847
- Responded:
- 21 Jul 2022
- Department:
- Department of Health and Social Care
The petition
Around 15.5 million people suffer from Chronic Pain (Verus Arthrtis, 2021). A number of commonly used and vital treatments for pain relief and management are no longer recommended, and we believe the new guidelines do not meet the needs of people suffering from chronic pain.
Experts on pain have said that taking painkillers away from those in desperate need is a cruel health policy: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/09/painkillers-cruel-health-policy-nice-guidelines
The review should consider evidence and statements provided by relevant stakeholders, organisations and campaign groups.
Experts have argued that because chronic pain has such an important impact on the lives of people who live with it, that every tool available is needed to help in its management.
The government's response
NICE guidelines are evidence based and developed independently. NICE are clear that medicines should not be withdrawn from patients with chronic pain if they are safe and effective for them.
The Government has no plans to commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review the guideline on chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain [NG193]. (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193)
NICE is an independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for the NHS. NICE guidelines are developed independently by experts based on the available evidence and consultation with stakeholders, and the Government cannot formally commission NICE to review guidelines.
The guideline recommends that people with chronic primary pain should not be started on commonly used drugs including paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, benzodiazepines or opioids. This is because NICE have determined there is little or no evidence that they make any difference to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress, but they can cause harm, including possible addiction.
Instead, the guideline recommends a number of interventions that have been shown to be effective in managing chronic primary pain, such as acupuncture, exercise programmes and psychological therapies. Furthermore, the guideline recommends that an antidepressant can be considered for people aged 18 years and over to manage chronic primary pain, after a full discussion of the benefits and harms. This is because NICE have determined the evidence shows antidepressants may help with quality of life, pain, sleep and psychological distress, even in the absence of a diagnosis of depression.