East Cheshire, Greater Manchester
Patient Safety Collaborative - Medicines
The National Patient Safety Improvement Programmes (NatPatSIPs) three programmes of work collectively form the largest safety initiative in the history of the NHS. They support a culture of safety, continuous learning and sustainable improvement across the healthcare system.
Over 0.5 million people in England are prescribed opioid analgesia for longer than 3 months, the majority having chronic pain that is not associated with cancer. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance states that opioids should not be offered to manage chronic non-cancer pain as harm out-weighs the benefit.
Opioids are a highly effective class of analgesics and, when used judiciously, are of great benefit to many people living with pain. However, in the case of ‘chronic non-cancer pain’, when the source of long-term pain does not have a cause that can be treated, opioids can do more harm than good, particularly when used at higher doses.
The Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (MedSIP) is a mandated National Patient Safety Improvement Programme (NatPatSIP) that is fully funded and commissioned by NHS England, with an overarching aim to ‘Reduce the severe avoidable harm and death associated with medicines.’
To support leadership across the GM ICS to progress through the 7 phases of the ‘whole systems approach’ framework, creating the conditions that enable the emergence of solutions.
The Breakthrough Series Collaborative is a Quality Improvement programme where individuals will learn about quality improvement methods while implementing projects focusing on a whole system approach to reducing harm from opioids in non-cancer pain
4 multidisciplinary teams (MDT’s) from the 4 geographical clusters (Manchester and Trafford; NCA; Bolton and Wigan; and Stockport and Tameside) have come together to work to a set of key drivers aligned to GM’s 4 identified improvement priorities (as put forward by ICB colleagues)
- Discharge Standards
- Embedding Resources
- Handover to Primary Care
- Increasing Biopsychosocial elements
Greater Manchester healthcare professionals have collaborated to design the Greater Manchester Pain Management Resources Hub that gathers helpful tools and resources in one place. The Hub brings together a variety of useful resources including guidance to support effective consultations, patient self-management information to share, clinician aids and tools, shared learning and education, how to use data to understand the local population, and information to access related services across the conurbation.
“Pain Killers” do not stop pain, they mask it, and prolonged use can lead to lasting harm including addiction. Healthcare professionals can use the new NHS Greater Manchester Pain Management Resources Hub to support their patients to safely reduce opioids and identify alternatives. Take a look and explore more here: Greater Manchester Pain Management Resources Hub and you can find instructions on using the Hub here.
Here's what some of our clinical colleagues think about the Greater Manchester Pain Management Resources Hub:
People Living With Chronic Pain Want You To Know…
Case Studies
Primary Care Knowledge Boost Podcast on Chronic Pain
Greater Manchester Medicines Optimisation Community of Practice (CoP)
The Medicines Optimisation Community of Practice (CoP) allows for collaboration over a shared passion to minimise harm to patients.
It is an opportunity to share perspectives, learning and lived experience to address:
- Problematic Polypharmacy
- Deprescribing
- Medicines Safety
- Medicines Optimisation
We’re seeking prescribers from primary and secondary care – including GP’s; patients, commissioners, and community pharmacists to get involved and help reduce potential harm from the administration of multiple medications and support effective dialogue between patients and healthcare teams.
Recording – Community of Practice – Health Inequalities – January 2024
Slide Deck – Community of Practice – October 2023
Recording – Community of Practice – Social Prescribing – July 2023
Contact
If you have any questions the Medicines Safety Improvement Programme please contact: PMOSupport@healthinnovationmanchester.com
