State urged to up pain clinic funding

A LEADING pain specialist called for more state funding for pain clinics yesterday ahead of a major conference on the issue.

Dr John Browne, a consultant pain specialist at Cork University Hospital — one of only 15 such specialistst in the country, said his clinic was being swamped every week with up to 60 people suffering from chronic pain.

Days lost at work due to the condition are costing the State hundreds of millions of euro annually. But the psychology service associated with pain clinics is inadequate, he said.