Useful information about working in Pain Services

Important Information

Key information can be found on the following Te Toka Tumai intranet sites:

• Acute pain services

• The Auckland Regional pain service (TARPS)

Inpatient acute pain management is coordinated by the Acute Pain Service (APS) as part of the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine.

Outpatient pain management is managed by the Auckland Regional Pain Service (ARPS) at Auckland Hospital. TARPS also deal with ACC referrals and interventional procedures.

The chronic pain services are purely outpatient-based.

For further information, visit

Who to call and the referral process

• Inpatient referrals for acute pain management should be made to the Pain Registrar over the phone.

• Chronic pain referrals (ACC cases from all districts and non-ACC cases from Auckland Hospital only) will be seen at The Auckland Regional Pain Service (TARPS) at Greenlane Clinical Centre.

An e-referral needs to be made.

General information to have when making a referral

1. Patient name, age and NHI

2. Brief medical history, including surgery, if any

3. Past pain history

4. Current analgesic regimen and response

5. Medical/surgical pla,n e.g. further operation, investigations or conservative treatment

Analgesia for ward procedures

• The most important factor for procedural pain relief is to explain fully to the patient what to expect.

• Liberal use of local anaesthetic lidocaine is important, and you must give it time to work.

• Allow patients to load themselves with their PCA opioid if connected or give intravenous opioid by IV protocol and allow time for it to work.

• Consider using Entonox® if not contraindicated (see above section). Always make sure patients know how to use it and that they are allowed to use it adequately before starting the procedure.

Sedation on the ward for procedures is not advised without appropriate training, full monitoring, and resuscitation capabilities.