SUFFERERS of chronic pain in York and Selby are hoping a decision to tender out pain management services will see the return of routine relief injections for sufferers.

The York and District Pain Management Support Group became embroiled in a bitter row with bosses of NHS North Yorkshire and York PCT after it stopped routinely offering the injections for free, claiming there was little medical evidence of their benefit.

However, chronic back pain sufferers the area argued that for many, the injections meant they could enjoy a normal life.

Speaking at yesterday’s annual general meeting of the support group in New Earswick, York, board member Gordon Hart said that while the financial situation for health funding remained grim, the new Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, which took over from NHS North Yorkshire and York, was tendering out the service.

He said “They have decided to put out to tender the provision of pain care management to the open market to see if another organisation will take it over.

“One of the tenders is York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,” he said. “All we can hope for is that the Hospital Trust are the ones who put out the best tender because they have all the experience and staff.”

York Hospital currently provides “top-up” pain injections, but at a cost of £200.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Vale of York CCG said it had issued a Prior Information Notice for a Community Pain Service, the first step towards the commissioning of a new service.

She said: “We will be seeking the views of service users to help us in drawing up a clear service specification. We would hope to have the new service in place by April 2014.”

A meeting will be now be held at 4.30pm on May 15 at West Offices in Station Rise. Anyone interested should email deon.falcon@nhs.net