Breaking down barriers: Transforming pain management through inclusive multilingual programmes.
Shamim Abasi, 75, who has lived with pain from her arthritis for more than 30 years, is now receiving more effective care thanks to a new approach to pain management delivered by Nottingham CityCare, the city’s largest provider of NHS community health services.
Two targeted pain management groups have been created – the South Asian Ladies Group and the Polish Group – using clinicians who can speak to patients in their own languages and interpreters who have personal experience of living with chronic pain conditions.
Shamim Abasi participates in the Pain Management Programme (PMP) as part of the South Asian Ladies Group. She was referred to the programme by her GP.
Shamin has seen immediate results and is delighted with the service: “I am so thankful to CityCare – that they are doing their level best to enhance our knowledge to cope with our (pain) problems.
“I am building an understanding of the importance of my physical and mental health, as well as the role of exercise and medication. This is such an important service.”
Historically, the Pain Management Programme, a comprehensive 8-week course, was delivered exclusively in English, which could leave non-English speakers at a disadvantage. However, thanks this pioneering data-driven approach from CityCare’s Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Service (Mosaic), this vital service is now accessible to Shamim and those who live in her community.
The CityCare Physiotherapy Pain Team now runs two pain management groups: the South Asian Ladies Group (Urdu, Punjabi, and Bengali speakers) and a Polish-speaking group. Held at the Mary Potter Centre, these sessions have set a new standard for inclusive healthcare.
Purba Bhattacharjee, Clinical Specialist for Physiotherapist Pain Team, said: “By working in a small group setting, in sessions catered to a person’s primary language, we can tackle pain management collectively so that we can share knowledge and understanding.
“As a service, we are focused on healthy behaviour change which focuses long term management. Experience of managing with persistent pain might be different for each community, depending on an individual’s pain belief, previous exposure of different healthcare model.”
CityCare either uses clinicians who can communicate directly in these languages or enlists interpreters with lived experience of chronic pain to serve as expert patients. This approach ensures that patients receive high-quality, meaningful care.
“The long-term ambition is to build trust within our communities so they can effectively deal with their persistent pain. It’s vital that we foster a relationship within the local community for long-term care and self-management,” said Purba.
The initiative has yielded impressive results with the South Asian Ladies Group giving it 100% positive feedback, with an "Excellent" overall experience, and the Polish Group giving it 75% positive feedback, with a "Good-Very Good" overall experience.
Looking ahead, the team wants to extend the programme to other languages, such as Arabic and Kurdish. Despite challenges such as changes in interpreter availability and the everyday demands of managing waiting lists, the programme's success underscores its value.
Date published: 5 March 2025
