Tackling chronic pain in Lambeth: new funding to expand pioneering community support

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People living with chronic pain in Lambeth are set to benefit from a major expansion of a pioneering community-based programme, thanks to new funding from King’s Health Partners, secured in August 2025.

The Pain: Equality of Care and Support in the Community (PEACS) programme, developed by Lambeth Together’s Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance (NWDA), has been working with residents, clinicians and voluntary sector partners to co-design a new approach to chronic pain. The model focuses on people from Black backgrounds, who are disproportionately affected by chronic pain and often face barriers to accessing effective support.

The new funding will enable the rollout of PEACS across all Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Lambeth, building on the success of a two-year prototype in Stockwellbeing PCN. The expansion will begin in early 2026, with a phased approach to co-design, workforce training and service delivery.

Four people standing indoors, one holding a colorful booklet with text, near a table and window.
Image provided by King’s Health Partners

A different way of supporting people with pain

PEACS offers a holistic, bio-psycho-social approach to chronic pain, moving away from a purely medical model. Participants are invited to attend a series of workshops covering topics such as movement, nutrition, sleep, trauma, relationships and community. They also receive extended one-to-one GP support and ongoing peer group sessions.

The programme was co-designed with 19 patients from Black backgrounds, five carers and 16 clinicians. It has been independently evaluated by the Tavistock Institute and recognised nationally, including a commendation at the 2024 HSJ Awards.

Early impact and patient voices

Initial results from the pilot show promising outcomes:

  • 87% of participants would recommend PEACS to others
  • 79% reported improved self-management of their pain
  • 58% reduced their GP appointments
  • Nearly half reduced or stopped their pain medication

One participant shared: “I came away from it with, I suppose, the reassurance that I wasn’t alone, I wasn’t mad, and that people cared.”

Another said: “It’s saved my life. I was really struggling with my chronic pain, and this helped me learn a lot.”

A Lambeth-first approach

Lambeth was the first place in the country to create a chronic pain register in general practice, enabling proactive identification and support. The register is now embedded across all practices in the borough.

A lady sits at a table with fruit and papers in the foreground, while two people stand and talk in a creative studio space.
Image provided by King’s Health Partners

 

Dr Di Aitken, GP and Clinical and Care Professional Lead for the NWDA and Chronic Pain, said: “Chronic pain is one of the most common long-term conditions in Lambeth, and it disproportionately affects women and people from Black Caribbean backgrounds. The PEACS model is about listening to people’s lived experience and working together to find what really helps. This funding means we can now take what we’ve learned and offer it to more people. It’s about changing the story of chronic pain in Lambeth and we’re proud to be leading the way.”

Next steps

The rollout will begin with project setup and co-design in early 2026, followed by service delivery across the remaining five PCNs from October 2026. The team will also develop a national implementation package to support wider adoption of the model.

Get support with chronic pain

If you live in Lambeth and are struggling with chronic pain, speak to your GP about a review. It’s a chance to talk about how pain affects your life—and how life might be affecting your pain. Support now focuses more on personalised, holistic care, not just medication. You can also try these free self-help tools:

GetUBetter – a Lambeth NHS approved digital app to help you manage common muscle, joint and women’s pelvic health conditions.
Live Well with Pain – a charity offering practical tools and advice to help you live well despite pain.

Why this matters to Lambeth Together

Tackling chronic pain reflects our commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving quality of life for the people most affected. Through the Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance, we’re embedding community-led, holistic support into our neighbourhoods. Read about this work and more: Lambeth Together Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance

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