Chronic Thursday

This being the last Thursday in the March meant that it was the Scottish Pain Research Community Annual Scientific Meeting (SPaRCASM) at the West Park in Dundee. This is the fourth annual meeting, but the first one we (myself and Vicky) did not organise, but which was organised by our colleagues at the University of Dundee. So we went along as delegates, and, instead of our usual rushing around organising things, could instead just be a delegate and listen to the really informative presentations, and not worry about presenters running over time!

After six years working on the chronic pain programme of work, our organisation's involvement is at an end, as we hopefully devolve the programme into a sustainable collaborative. This means that our 3 chronic pain facilitators (John, Linda and Norma) and our National Lead Clinician (Steve) also finish their secondments and head back to work in their NHS boards, after working with us, one day a week for the last 18 months (2 days a week for the last 3 years in Steve's case!).

It was a brilliant day, and I will be sad to see the end of our organisations involvement in the programme of work, but I know that we will certainly not lose touch with the many brilliant people who work and help to improve the lives of people with chronic pain.

Our facilitators and Steve are so lovely, that they even gave Vicky, Lesley (our amazingly wonderful organisational programme lead) and myself, homemade thank you cards and gifts (I was given Cross pen, which is well classy).

Well onwards and upwards ... full time on Patient Safety Mental Health from Monday (they are a lovely bunch too!).

Hope you have all had a great day too.