HEALTH bosses have been urged to reconsider their "cruellest cut" by a support group leader representing patients with long-term pain.

The chairwoman of the York Pain Management Support Group has spoken out about one of the measures introduced by North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) to help reduce a multi-million pound debt crisis.

The PCT has introduced a range of measures to ease its financial black hole, including suspending a range of procedures. The measures now not being offered, save for exceptional cases, include facet joint injections which are given to patients suffering from chronic back pain.

The support group has 60 members from the York and Selby area, who have gone through a management programme at York Hospital for a range of chronic pain conditions.

Linda Hatton, group chairwoman, of Heworth, York, said: "I find it unbelievably cruel that North Yorkshire and York PCT should be considering taking such actions to cut these important aspects of pain control. Just because you can't see pain, doesn't mean it isn't there."

Linda, who also suffers from arthritis and back pain, added: "People who have never suffered the agony of back pain do not fully appreciate the extent to which pain can destroy almost every aspect of daily life, where every movement can be agony.

"York Hospital has developed an excellent and leading chronic pain clinic and pain management programme, both of which have been running successfully for years.

"This is supplemented by a pain management support group to help individuals manage their pain more effectively.

"I do hope the PCT will reconsider these proposals. Good pain management is often the only hope for so many people with chronic pain.

"I have had people ringing me up from the pain support management group asking whether their help is going to be changed."

A PCT spokesman said: "It's important to stress there is no blanket ban on any procedures and all requests will be judged on a clinical basis through an exception panel.

"The measures we have developed are not about denying treatment to people who need it urgently."

City of York Council's health scrutiny committee is holding a special forum at the end of this month to give people a chance to have their say on the PCT's money-saving measures.

The meeting is being held at the Priory Street Centre, on January 31, from 2pm to 5pm.

To go to the meeting, phone the council's scrutiny officer Barbara Boyce on 01904 551714 or email barbara.boyce@york.gov.uk