World-class acute pain service at St John of God Subiaco Hospital

St John of God Subiaco Hospital is one of the few facilities in Western Australia to offer an acute pain service for inpatients immediately after surgery.

24 Jul 2017

24 July 2017

The service assists inpatients with complex, acute and chronic pain. It includes the assessment and management of pain as well as education to caregivers, patients and families about individualised pain management.

The service is available 24 hours a day and includes medical pain specialists, a nurse practitioner, clinical nurses and a clinical pharmacist.

As part of a multidisciplinary approach, the team liaises with allied health care professionals, general practitioners, pharmacists and medical teams providing ongoing pain management.

Pain specialist Professor Eric Visser said the service also provides a unique post-discharge follow up service for those in chronic pain, particularly with managing pain and related medication.

“On average about 20 per cent of patients have chronic pain after surgery and we aim to assist patients before and after surgery to help them manage their pain and reduce the risk of them becoming reliant on medication,” he said.

How to access the Acute Pain Service

Referrals to the Acute Pain Service can be only provided by surgeons or consultants providing care to patients undergoing surgery at the hospital.

For more information, please contact the hospital on (08) 9382 6111.