ESCAPE-pain is now available across the South West

The South West Academic Health Science Network (SW AHSN) is supporting ESCAPE-pain facilitator training to tackle people’s joint pain across the region.
The SW AHSN is working with a cohort of physiotherapists and exercise coaches to help roll out ESCAPE-pain across the South West as part of The AHSN Network’s wider ambition for the programme to be available throughout England. ESCAPE-pain is a group-based rehabilitation programme for people with chronic hip and knee pain. It integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with a personalised exercise plan. This exciting new initiative combines approaches from physiotherapists and exercise coaches to push people’s rehabilitation into the community, making it more accessible for everyone. The programme is being piloted at a number of sites in early 2019.
So far, we have supported the training of over 20 physios and exercise coaches from across Devon and Somerset to become facilitators of the 12-session, tailored programme. These facilitators are now set to start running their own ESCAPE-pain programmes in 2019. The following sessions are due to start in January and February:
MENDIP

• Axbridge Surgery, BS26 2BJ: Monday and Thursday, 11.00-12.00, from 18 February. Contact 01934 732 464.
• Frome Medical Practice, BA11 2FH: Wednesday 14.00-15.00 and Friday 14.30-15.30, from 27 February. Contact 01373 468 368.
• West Mendip Hospital, Glastonbury BA5 8JD: Tuesday and Friday 11:00-12:00, from 5 February. Contact 01458 836 490, jonathan.marsh@sompar.nhs.uk
• Wells Leisure Centre, BA5 2FB: Wednesday and Friday 10:30-11:30, from 20 February. Contact 01749 670055.

South Somerset

• Yeovil District Hospital, BA21 4AT: Monday 12:00-13:00 and Friday 11:00-12:00, from 11/02/2019. Contact TBC.
• The English Martyrs Church, Chard TA20 1EP: Tuesday 13:30-14:30 and Friday 10:30-11:30, from 5 February. Contact 07814 826951, marioncooper@hotmail.co.uk.
• Huish Leisure, Langport TA10 9SS: Tuesday and Thursday 12:45-13:45, from 19 February. Contact 01458 251 055.
• LED Wincanton Sports Centre, BA9 9SP: Tuesday and Friday 13:45-14:45, from 5 February. Contact 01963 824 400.

Taunton Deane

• Wellington Sports Centre, TA21 8LL: Tuesday and Friday 10:00-11:00. Start date TBC. Contact 01823 663 010.
• Wellsprings Leisure Centre, Taunton TA2 7QP: Monday 15:30-16:30 and Thursday 10:30-11:30, from 4 February. Contact 01823 271 271.
• Dene Barton Community Hospital, Taunton TA4 1DD: Tuesday and Friday 10:00-11:00, from 22 January. Contact 01823 431 930.

North Devon

• Barnstaple RFC, EX31 1JH: Tuesday and Friday 11:30-13:00, from 12 February. Contact phil@vistawellbeing.org.uk.

South Devon and Torbay

• Torbay Leisure Centre, Paignton TQ4 5JR: Tuesday 12:00-13:00 and Friday 11:00-12:00, from 19 February. Contact 01803 522240.

Mid Devon

• Exe Valley Leisure Centre, Tiverton, EX16 6SG: Tuesday and Friday 15:15-16:15, from 5 February. Contact 01884 234 900.

East Devon

• Budleigh Health & Wellbeing Hub, EX9 6HF: Monday and Wednesday 15:15-16:15, from 18 February. Contact 01395 446896.
• LED Honiton Leisure Centre, Honiton EX14 1QW: Tuesday 12:30-13:30 and Friday 11:30-12:30, from 19 February. Contact 01404 42325.
• LED Seaton Leisure Centre, EX12 2FU: Monday and Friday 14:30-15:30, from 18 February. Contact 01297 304000.
• Westbank Healthy Living and Community Care Centre, Exminster EX6 8AT: Tuesday and Friday 12:15-13:15, from 19 February. Contact 01392 824752.

The programme requires participants to attend two sessions per week for six weeks.
Cornwall successfully completed their first programme at the end of September in Bodmin Community Hospital’s Outpatient Physiotherapy department. We will continue to work with Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to spread this across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly throughout the year.
ESCAPE-pain is featured in the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Dissemination Centre’s themed review of musculoskeletal recommendations. ‘Moving Forward’ highlights the importance of physiotherapy in improving and reducing the negative effects associated with musculoskeletal conditions.
“The ESCAPE-Pain programme was designed to bring together all of these principles in a standardised intervention. Its success was overwhelming with fewer GP appointments required, less analgesia/painkillers needed and people seeing the benefits of the programme for over 30 months.” – Tim Powell, Advanced Practice Physiotherapist at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. You can read more about the programme and it’s benefits in Tim’s blog.
If you would like more information about ESCAPE-pain in the South West, please contact hello@escape-pain.org. If you would like to find out more about participating in one of the sessions mentioned above, please contact the facilitator directly.