Project Completion Date: October 2026

Project Contact: Prabhjit Malhi

In the summer of 2024, an SND Division Shared Care working group began work on an Expression of Interest (EOI) project to identify physician and patient challenges in accessing and providing care for chronic pain patients in Surrey-North Delta 

Following a gap analysis, needs assessment, provider survey and data requests, the group identified  that there is a need for resources to help patients understand that chronic pain is not curable, along with counselling support to accept the diagnosis and a team-based approach to care.

Moreover, many Family Physicians would like further support with managing chronic pain patients in their clinics. For example, some Family Physicians are uncomfortable prescribing opioids. Meanwhile, the JPOCSC Pain Clinic faces long wait times due to the volume of referrals and lengthy stays in service, partially due to unrealistic patient goals or expectations. Because of these delays, structured support is needed during this waiting period.

The Chronic Pain Project aims to address these challenges through education for Family Physicians and patients and by creating additional resources that support chronic pain patients in accepting and navigating their chronic pain journey to improve self-management.  ​