Chronic pain
Listen to the effect of pain while checking whether anything new needs urgent assessment.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Distinguish an acute change from the person’s usual pain pattern.
- Discuss a realistic plan that recognises the patient’s priorities and existing care.
Recognise and explain
- Physical, psychological and social factors may coexist; this does not make pain less real.
On your placement
Agree the activity and supervision with the clinical team. For patient-facing learning, seek permission and respect the patient’s comfort and care needs.
- Ask about usual function, treatment and the reason for attending today.
- Review medicines and new warning features with a clinician.
- Observe how a plan and follow-up are agreed.
Start here
MLA: a focused history
Start with the reason for today’s attendance, the person’s concerns and the next decision.
Current guidance
NICE NG193: chronic pain
Read the assessment of chronic pain in people aged 16 and over; the treatment recommendations concern chronic primary pain.
RCEM acute pain guidance for adults
Focus on adult ED pain assessment, safe analgesia and reassessment; discuss patient-specific treatment choices with your supervisor.
Discuss
Assessing persistent pain in the emergency department
Practise a respectful ED assessment that recognises suffering, checks for new pathology and makes a realistic plan.
On your next shift
Identify one patient priority that influenced the plan.
How this relates to GMC graduate outcomes and the MLA
These are St Emlyn’s learning connections, not a claim that this page covers every national requirement.
Presentations and conditions: Pain.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
St Emlyn’s interpretation of relevant GMC graduate outcomes and MLA themes; these are summary labels, not official topic codes or a complete curriculum.
Explore the student placement programme
Student practice and graduate expectations
About this resource and its review
A St Emlyn’s guide to learning Emergency Medicine during undergraduate placements. It is not an official medical-school or GMC curriculum. Your medical school’s curriculum and assessment requirements take precedence.
National foundations: GMC Outcomes for Graduates, the practical-skills supplement and the MLA content map applying from September 2026.
Framework checked: 8 October 2026. This is a source check, not clinical sign-off.
Clinical learning outcomes: awaiting named clinical review.
The four learning routes are St Emlyn’s groupings. The six interconnected MLA domains remain part of the official content map.