Pain service to be expanded

The Northern Territory's chronic pain service will be expanded to help sufferers.

The service will be upgraded this year and nearly $300,000 will be allocated each year to continue its life changing programs.

The new service will include a multi-disciplinary assessment and care planning team to provide group treatment in Darwin and Alice Springs.

"This will mean increased access to visiting medical pain specialists and support, and advice to doctors managing people with chronic pain," Health Minister Peter Toyne said.

"The improved service will also forge links to an interstate centre of excellence and will include funding to enable client assessments in locations where the multi-disciplinary team is not available. This will ensure Territorians who suffer chronic can get the best treatment possible when the new service begins in July this year."

The upgrade coincides with changes to legislation controllling the use of Schedule 8 drugs that came into effect yesterday.

"The prescriptions of these medicines will be more tightly controlled and monitored," Dr Toyne said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 8th February 2005
Source: Northern Territory News
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News