Flippin’ Pain™ has been officially named the gold winner in the Most Impactful Partnership in Preventative Healthcare category at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2024.
The campaign is part of a Sport England You’ve Got This collaboration bringing together North East & Cumbria NHS, Connect Health, Tees Valley Sport and Teesside University.
The award recognises the significant work the partnership has undertaken in the Tees Valley to help health professionals and those living with chronic pain become better informed about pain management and lead active lives.
Research shows that two in five people in the North East are affected by chronic pain, and public health initiative, Flippin’ Pain™ is now bringing new hope to people impacted by it.
The partnership’s collaborative approach to working with Flippin’ Pain™ saw them flip how a population thinks about, talks about and treats chronic pain through a series of co-created events and activities, with the aim of getting into the local community to help the public and health professionals better understand the science behind why we hurt.
You’ve Got This Programme Officer Lauren Perkin said: “Through our work in the local community, we know that many people live in pain, which prevents them from being active.
"They often believe they can't do anything about it because they have never been told or show they can.
“By helping health professionals and those living in pain change their perspectives and flip how they deal with pain, we can help people live more active lives.”
Representatives from the NHS, the private and third sectors, and key players from non-clinical backgrounds attended the prestigious awards event to celebrate the importance of positive partnerships and acknowledge how these underpin the future sustainability of the NHS.
The judging panel consisted of 79 highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community. All finalists and winners were judged against five clear criteria: ambition, outcome, spread, value, and involvement.
Craig Blair, local director for the North East and North Cumbria ICB, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that this innovative campaign has received the recognition it deserves and we are able to highlight the positive impact it has made to people across the Tees Valley.
“It is testament to the hard work and positive approach with partners from all areas across the health and care system, coming together with fresh and exciting ideas to improve the health and wellbeing of our local population.”
HSJ Partnership Award winners are automatically shortlisted for the wider HSJ Awards programme, providing a second chance to win and even greater exposure.
Paul Kreczak, Executive Director at Tees Valley Sport, added: “Flippin’ Pain™ is a pioneering piece of work. It's a real honour to receive this award and a fantastic example of what can be achieved when partners collaborate.
“We’re thrilled to have won and look forward to developing the partnership further so that we can help more people living in pain, be better informed, and continue to be active.”
Professor Cormac Ryan, a community pain champion for public health initiative Flippin’ Pain™ and professor of clinical rehabilitation at Teesside University, led many of the public consultation events.
He said: “We are so proud of this collaboration – it really does prove that by working together we can have more impact and truly affect positive change.
“Our objective with Flippin’ Pain™ has always been to ‘flip’ people’s understanding of pain – to change the way they think about it, talk about it, and treat it, and this award win evidences that we’re doing just that, and in a really meaningful way.”
• Anyone living with pain or who is a healthcare professional who helps people manage pain, can learn more about the Flippin’ Pain™ campaign at www.flippinpain.co.uk
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