Whittington Health provides Tier 1 and Tier 2 pain management services for adults in the borough of Haringey and Islington (as defined by the Faculty of Pain Medicine). The services aim to support patients who have been living with persistent pain (longer than six months) and have exhausted curative treatment strategies. 

Please note: As pain services are non-diagnostic, when making a referral it is important to include the patient's diagnosis, relevant investigations and treatment to date and include all secondary care clinic letters exhausting surgical/curative treatments.

All referrals for pain management input will be triaged by the MSK SPOA service (see MSK SPOA service page). Patients eligible for referral will be sent on to their respective Tier 1 or Tier 2 team for specialist support with persistent pain.

Pathways are in place to ensure the safe and appropriate level of pain management care is provided for each individual patient. 

Tier 1 Pain Management Services

Provide a multidisciplinary (MDT) approach to supporting individuals with persistent pain conditions. The aim is to maximise quality of life alongside pain through the learning, development and maintenance of self-management skills.

Services offered include:

• Pain management physiotherapy 
• An eight-week Pain Management Group (co-delivered by MSK Physiotherapy and primary care mental health services in Islington and Haringey)
• Pharmacy-led medication reviews

Tier 2 Pain Management Services 

MDT pain management support for individuals with persistent pain conditions. Patients who meet the criteria will be referred to one of two secondary care pain teams: 

• Whittington Health Secondary Care Pain Team (catchment north Islington)
• Haringey Community Pain Service (catchment Haringey) newly launched in 2024. A Tier 2 (secondary care) pain service embedded within the West Haringey community, delivered in partnership with North Middlesex University Hospital Pain Team.

MDT professionals within these teams include pain consultants, advanced physiotherapists, pain management physiotherapists, clinical health psychologists and pharmacists. 

Services offered:

• Pain interventional procedures 
• Pain management physiotherapy 
• Pain management psychology 
• Pharmacological management 
• Acupuncture clinic 
• 12-week Pain Management Programme (co-delivered by a pain specialist psychologist and physiotherapist)

How to Refer