In Region Stockholm, there are 10 pain clinics that take care of around 1,000 patients per year who suffer from long-term pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatism and ME/CFS.
But after a decision in the health and medical care board in Region Stockholm, the choice of care is removed.
Instead, patients are referred to their health centre.
This means that the clinics are no longer paid for the patients from the region and doctors are worried about having to close the clinics.
- District doctors can only write sick notes, prescribe medicines or send a referral to the physiotherapist.
We have developed a good specialized evidence-based program.
Primary care will not be able to acquire such knowledge in a short time, says Diana Kadetoff, PhD and senior physician at the Spine Center who has researched chronic pain for over 20 years.
Concerns about closure at Capio Spine Center
At the Capio Spine Center in Stockholm, 300 patients are treated per year.
Since 2014, doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, pain doctors and counselors have been working in teams to teach patients how to manage the pain and be able to return to normal life.
According to the National Register of Pain Rehabilitation, 44 percent of those who received treatment were able to return to work in 2021.
Diana Kadetoff would like to see another solution.
- You could replace it with another agreement, with the utmost importance that the patients see specialist doctors for pain analysis, prescription of drugs and rehabilitation.
It is the whole that is needed, says Kadetoff.