Lincolnshire Community Pain Management Service

The Lincolnshire Community Pain Management Service provides specialist pain management services in Lincolnshire. The service is run by Cora Health, who have supported this project through the donation of time and expertise. A Cora Health representative often attends CRG meetings and our 4-Step Approach practice-based education sessions. Their referral criteria is below:

In Scope (Inclusion Criteria)
 
The following are clinical criteria and referral processes to be used to determine eligibility of Service Users for the Service: 

  1. Service Users over the age of 16
  2. Service Users who have pain which is Chronic/Persistent and/or impacting on function/causing distress where there is either:
    • no obvious cause for the pain after appropriate investigations, or
    • the cause(s) have been identified but no specific treatment can be offered/is acceptable, or
    • a cause for pain has been identified but pain persists despite appropriate treatment (e.g., analgesia and physiotherapy).
  3. Appropriate Primary Care management has been exhausted 
  4. The service user has an understanding of the service
  5. The patient consents to referral and to sharing of information

 
Out of Scope (Exclusion Criteria)
 
The following is a non-exhaustive list of exclusion criteria to be used to determine which Service Users are not eligible for the Service.
 
Urgent and/or same day referrals are not envisaged.  In the event that such referrals received by the service, the provider must contact the referrer immediately. 

2 Week-Wait (2WW) referrals are excluded from this service. However, if a referral clinically triaged within the service is deemed to be a potential 2WW, they will immediately direct the referral onto the relevant 2WW pathway and contact the referring GP within 1 working day to make them aware. 
 

  1. Service Users under the age of 16 (refer to Paediatrics).
  2. Service Users with known treatable pathology  (e.g. suspected fracture, infection, suspect cancer, red flags).
  3. Service Users requiring further investigation (investigation is usually completed by the specialty e.g. MSK, Rheumatology, Spinal service etc)
  4. Service Users requiring a surgical opinion.
  5. Service User is receiving care from another specialty for the same problem, unless the speciality has highlighted the need for pain management support or input to support care delivery
  6. Primary headache and migraine
  7. Service Users with competing needs that would compromise engagement or the Service efficacy (this could include separate social & psychological needs and possible drug or alcohol issues that may require resolution prior to attendance). Discussion via Advice & Guidance can be used to support decisions regarding this criteria.

When making a referral please do not request specific treatments e.g. refer to the service for an interventional pain management injections. Please refer to the service with the message that the service will assess the patients pain, develop a care plan with the patient and then support the patient to manage their pain.
 
Many patients are referred to the service for specific injection which are contrary to best practice and national guidance e.g. facet joint injections. This creates a raised expectation for the patients which cannot be met.
 

If in doubt or you need further clarification before making a referral, Cora has recommended that you seek advice and guidance from the service, please:

Email: lincolnshire.painservice@corahealth.co.uk - response within 5 days ( Would recommend 2 working days)

Number:  01522 581 777 

A&G: response within 5 days (Would recommend 2 working days)

(correct as of July 2026)

To visit the Cora Health website, please click here.