Development of a nurse-led chronic pain clinic in UK primary care.

We describe the development of an innovative, nurse-led chronic pain clinic in primary care. Benefit of the structured intervention was seen in terms of overall patient pain (as measured by the short form McGill-Melzack pain scale) with no overall impact on drug costs. A significant proportion (54%) of patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were deemed to be at risk of gastropathy and in need of gastroprotection as defined by the clinic protocol. Areas worthy of further study are discussed.