These guidelines relate to adult acute pain management practices.

The aim of these guidelines is to help provide consistency in acute pain management in the surgical clinical areas and to be a handy reference guide to various aspects of management of acute pain.  This should provide medical and nursing staff with an understanding of basic analgesic management and should enable ward staff to manage straightforward pain problems quickly and effectively.  The guidelines also define limits for ward staff and give them access to Acute Pain Service personnel when appropriate.  Education and training courses offered across the site by the Acute Pain Team will be based on these guidelines.

The remit of the Acute Pain Team is to:

• Inform patients, relatives and health care professionals about acute pain and its treatment
• Provide training and educational support for staff caring for patients with acute pain
• Audit the incidence and treatment of acute and post-operative pain in the surgical specialties
• Develop guidelines and evidence-based good practice relating to acute pain management
• Implement new techniques and methods of providing acute pain management
• Investigate and manage incidents relating to acute pain management

Members of the Acute Pain Team

Lead Consultant:                    Dr Kenneth Pollock

Consultant Anaesthetists:      Dr Vishal Gupta, Dr Genevieve Lowe & Dr Stephen Hickey

Nursing Staff:                         Stephanie Brockie,  Jackie Bell & Kirstin Smith