Delivering  the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management

Painaustralia was pleased to join with our founding members, the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FPM) at a workshop aimed at cross sectoral input on the implementation of the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management (Action Plan).

The workshop reviewed the expertise and capacity to deliver the different goals identified in the Action Plan and identified key priorities for early actions. 

The forum was attended by the Department of Health including the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Australia, Professor Paul Kelly outlined the Government’s response to the state of pain in Australia, highlighting the hidden aspect of preventing the onset of chronic pain which is Australia’s second leading cause of disability.

FPM Dean Meredith Craigie and Dean Elect Mick Vagg called for action to support early implementation of the  Action Plan highlighting social and psychological factors to be considered foremost in treatment before biomedical approaches.

Painaustralia CEO Carol Bennett provided an overview of the Action Plan and the rationale for specific recommendations, noting that access to best practice pain management and support is currently limited and restrictive. 

Participants worked together on five themes: consumer education, health practitioner education, clinical guidelines and tools, access and better implementation and research.

Importantly, one of the key outcomes across all the themes was the focus on ensuring consumer participation. There was unanimous support that all the Action Plan outcomes and objectives could only be achieved if consumers remained a central part of their development and implementation (co-design).

It was encouraging to see the strong and consistent support the Action Plan has across the sector. There were many agreed actions from the day, including the key task of advocating for the establishment of a National Pain Management Leadership Group.

Painaustralia will continue to work with our members to harness the goodwill and momentum that unites the sector.  We look forward to working with all the stakeholders, and above all, people living with chronic pain in realising the ambitious and significant agenda set out in the National Action Plan.

Read our blog on the workshop here.