Who has been appointed to the Evidence Review on Chronic Pain, which is being handled by the Pain Management Task Force; what the remit of …

The review for specialist interventions for managing chronic non-malignant pain in adults was commissioned by Scottish Government but is being led by the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG), part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). HIS and SHTG operate independently and neither the Pain Management Taskforce or the Scottish Government have a role in undertaking the review.SHTG provides evidence-based advice to NHSScotland on health technologies to support informed decision making that improves health and care for people in Scotland. Its advice is underpinned by Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodology which is a formal, internationally recognised, systematic and transparent process that considers the best available evidence. This includes clinical effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, and the views of patients, healthcare professionals, and wider system implications.SHTG have determined that they will make recommendations on the following four questions:1. Is radiofrequency denervation effective, safe and cost effective for treating chronic non-malignant joint pain in adults?2. Are injections (spinal axial blocks, sacroiliac joint injections, facet joint injections) with or without steroids effective, safe and cost effective treatment options for adults with chronic non-malignant pain?3. Are lidocaine intravenous infusions effective, safe and cost effective for treating chronic non-malignant pain in adults?4. What are patient views and experiences of chronic pain treatment in specialist secondary care settings?The findings will be published on their website and are currently anticipated to be published on 28 November 2025. You can find more information here: Specialist interventions for managing chronic non-malignant pain in adults | Scottish Health Technologies Group.