Pain Infusion Pathway · Sutton Coldfield · Birmingham

Chronic pain doesn’t need a 12-month wait.

A consultant-led IV lidocaine infusion pathway at The Vesey — from a free 30-minute pain review to a treatment infusion within two weeks of your consultation. CQC-regulated. Designed and delivered by Dr Arul James, Consultant in Pain Medicine.

Standard Vesey pathway £1,060
£800Full package · Save £260
Free pain review · Infusion within 2 weeks
Book my free pain review → Call 0121 387 3727
NHS wait~ 12 months
Vesey wait~ 2 weeks (free review) · 4 weeks (infusion)
Virtual availablereview & consult
4.87/5
Doctify rating
350+
Verified reviews
CQC
Regulated hospital
7 days
Including Sundays
Free
Initial pain review
The Pathway

Three clear steps — with a free first appointment, so you only pay when treatment is right for you.

Chronic pain assessments often disappoint because they end in a waitlist. This pathway is different: a thorough free pain review reviewed by a Pain Consultant, followed (only if appropriate) by a consultant appointment and treatment within a fortnight.

1
Step 1 · Free
Pain Review with a Health Advisor
FREE30 minutes · No charge
A detailed 30-minute pain review with one of our trained Health Advisors. We take a full pain history, review imaging or letters you bring, and screen for red flags. Every review is then reviewed by Dr Arul James, our Pain Consultant — so even at this step a consultant sees your case.
Virtual or in person
2
Step 2 · If eligible
Consultation with Dr Arul James, Pain Consultant
£26030-minute consultant appointment
A 30-minute appointment with Dr James. He confirms the diagnosis, discusses what an infusion can and cannot do for your specific condition, sets realistic expectations, screens for contraindications (ECG and obs reviewed), and books your infusion if you’re going ahead.
Virtual or in person
3
Step 3 · Within 2 weeks
IV Lidocaine Infusion at The Vesey
£540Includes monitoring & recovery
A monitored IV infusion of lidocaine over approximately 60 minutes in a treatment room. Continuous ECG, blood-pressure and oxygen monitoring throughout, with a short recovery period before you go home (please arrange a lift — no driving for 24 hours). Booked within 2 weeks of your consultation.
In person · Sutton Coldfield

If pain infusion is not recommended: Dr James will discuss a full complement of treatments appropriate to your condition and provide a written, personalised treatment plan — medication review, interventional procedures, physiotherapy, psychological pain therapies, or onward referral. You only pay the £260 consultation. There is no charge for the infusion you do not have.

Pricing & Wait Times

How the Vesey pathway compares.

Published comparator pricing from UK private clinics for lidocaine infusion (procedure-only). Independent consultation fees are typically £250–£400 on top. NHS waiting times for chronic-pain pathways have been documented widely at 9–14 months from GP referral to infusion.

ProviderConsultationLidocaine infusionTotal / wait
The Vesey — Promo pathway
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
 FREE pain review
+ £260 consult		 £540 £800 total
Infusion within ~4 weeks
The Vesey — standard rate £260 £800 £1,060
Same timeline
DRG Health Clinic (Doncaster) From £200 (separate) £975 From £1,175
Variable
The Fibroclinic (UK) £299 (30-min) Quoted on request From ~£1,200–£1,500
Variable
Major private hospital groups (Spire / Nuffield / HCA) £250–£400 £2,650–£4,350 £2,900–£4,750
2–8 weeks
NHS pathway Via GP referral NHS-funded Free
Approx. 12 months

Comparator pricing collected from publicly-published clinic pricing pages in 2026; we do not control or guarantee third-party pricing and these figures may change. NHS waiting times reflect typical chronic-pain pathway waits reported across NHS England trusts.

Conditions Treated

Which chronic pain conditions may benefit from IV lidocaine infusion?

Lidocaine infusion is most often considered for chronic neuropathic (nerve-related) pain that has not responded fully to standard oral medications such as gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline, or duloxetine. Suitability is always confirmed at the consultant appointment.

FibromyalgiaWidespread musculoskeletal pain with central sensitisation. One of the most-studied indications.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)Type I or II, post-injury or post-surgical.
Post-herpetic neuralgiaNerve pain persisting after shingles.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathyPainful diabetic nerve damage in feet, hands, or limbs.
Trigeminal neuralgiaSevere facial nerve pain.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathyPersistent nerve pain after cancer treatment.
Phantom-limb painPain experienced in an amputated limb.
Central post-stroke painPain from brain or spinal-cord stroke.
Spinal-cord-injury painNeuropathic pain below or at the level of injury.
Peripheral nerve-injury painIncluding traumatic and iatrogenic nerve damage.
Persistent post-surgical neuropathic painIncluding post-mastectomy, post-thoracotomy, post-hernia repair.
Pain from scarring or neuromasIncluding stump neuromas and chronic incisional pain.
Erythromelalgia & small-fibre neuropathyBurning extremity pain.
Refractory chronic regional nerve painWhere oral medication has not given adequate relief.

Not on the list? Many less-common chronic pain conditions are still worth a free pain review — the assessment is the part that tells us whether infusion is the right next step. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you, at no charge, and recommend what is.

Benefits & Risks

Full disclosure — what lidocaine infusion can do, and what it can’t.

Every pain treatment has trade-offs. We give you the same balanced picture our consultant gives at the appointment, so you can decide ahead of time whether the pathway is right for you.

Benefits

  • Meaningful pain reduction in many patients with neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia — relief often lasts weeks to 6 months.
  • Non-opioid — no addiction risk and no opioid side-effect profile.
  • Outpatient — no overnight stay; you go home the same day.
  • Can reduce reliance on long-term gabapentin, pregabalin, opioids or antidepressants by improving baseline pain.
  • Often improves sleep, mood and mobility alongside the pain itself.
  • Repeatable if effective — many patients have periodic infusions every few months.
  • Bridges a longer-term integrated plan — useful while medication, psychology, or physiotherapy interventions take effect.
  • Diagnostic value — a strong response can help confirm a neuropathic component.

Risks & side effects

Common (mild, short-lived, during/after the infusion)
  • Light-headedness or dizziness
  • Tingling around the mouth or fingers (perioral paraesthesia)
  • Metallic taste
  • Mild drowsiness
  • Mild nausea
  • Slight drop in blood pressure
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Blurred vision
Uncommon
  • Bruising or pain at the IV site
  • Allergic reaction (rare)
  • Confusion or agitation
Rare — but the reason we monitor throughout
  • Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
  • Significant low blood pressure
  • Seizures (at higher doses — our doses are carefully controlled to stay below threshold)
  • Heart block (very rare — pre-procedure ECG identifies at-risk patients)

Who should NOT have a lidocaine infusion

We will identify any of the following at the consultation and offer an alternative treatment plan:

  • Known allergy to amide local anaesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine, prilocaine, etc.)
  • Significant cardiac arrhythmias (e.g. high-grade AV block, untreated Wolff-Parkinson-White, sick sinus syndrome)
  • Severe heart failure (NYHA class III/IV)
  • Significant liver impairment (the liver clears lidocaine)
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding (relative contraindication — only on specialist advice)
  • Active sepsis or systemic infection
  • Porphyria
Your Consultant

Led by Dr Arul James, Consultant in Pain Medicine.

Dr Arul James, Consultant in Pain Medicine, The Vesey Private Hospital
Dr Arul James
Consultant in Pain Medicine & Anaesthesia

Dr James leads The Vesey’s pain pathway at our Sutton Coldfield site. GMC-registered with the relevant specialist register entry, his clinical interests cover chronic neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, post-surgical pain, and interventional pain procedures. He believes pain plans should be both honest about what treatments can deliver and proactive about getting patients to the right next step quickly — which is why every free pain review is personally reviewed by him before patients are invited to consultation.

All infusions at The Vesey are performed under his oversight, in a monitored treatment room, in line with current best-practice safety standards.

Common Questions

Everything patients ask before booking.

What does the free pain review include?
A 30-minute appointment with one of our Health Advisors — in person at Sutton Coldfield or virtually by video call. They take a detailed pain history, review any imaging or letters you bring, screen for red flags, and explain the lidocaine infusion pathway. Every review is then reviewed by Dr Arul James, our Pain Consultant, before you are invited to the consultation step. There is no charge for this step — if pain infusion isn’t the right pathway, we will tell you and recommend alternatives.
How much does the full pathway cost?
The promotional pathway is £800 total: £0 for the free pain review, £260 for the 30-minute consultation with Dr Arul James, and £540 for the IV lidocaine infusion. The same pathway booked separately at The Vesey is £1,060 (saving you £260). Comparable private clinics in the UK charge £975 to £4,350+ for the procedure alone, plus £250–£400 consultation.
How long is the wait — NHS vs The Vesey?
On the NHS, the typical wait from GP referral to lidocaine infusion is approximately 12 months. At The Vesey: free pain review usually within 1 week, consultant appointment within 2 weeks, infusion (if recommended) within a further 2 weeks of consultation. Most patients are treated within 4 weeks of their first contact with us.
What conditions does lidocaine infusion treat?
Most often considered for chronic neuropathic pain that hasn’t responded to standard oral medications. Conditions include fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia (after shingles), diabetic peripheral neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), trigeminal neuralgia, central post-stroke pain, spinal-cord-injury pain, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, phantom-limb pain, peripheral nerve-injury pain, persistent post-surgical neuropathic pain, and pain from neuromas or scarring. See the full list above.
How effective is lidocaine infusion?
Response is individual. Published evidence and our own outcomes suggest a clinically meaningful reduction in pain in a substantial proportion of patients with neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia, with relief lasting from weeks to 6 months. Some patients respond very well and benefit from periodic repeat infusions; some respond partially; some don’t respond. Dr James sets honest expectations at the consultation and offers a clear next step either way.
What are the risks?
Common, mild and short-lived side effects (during or shortly after the infusion) include light-headedness, tingling around the mouth or fingers, a metallic taste, mild drowsiness, mild nausea, a slight drop in blood pressure, tinnitus and blurred vision. Uncommon: local bruising at the IV site, allergic reaction, confusion. Rare but serious: cardiac arrhythmia, significant low blood pressure, seizures or heart block — which is why the infusion is performed only in a monitored setting, with pre-procedure ECG, continuous heart-rhythm monitoring throughout, and resuscitation equipment immediately available. See the Risks panel above for full disclosure.
Is the appointment virtual or in person?
The free pain review and the consultant appointment can both be done virtually (video call) or in person at Sutton Coldfield — your choice. The infusion itself is performed in person at The Vesey in a monitored treatment room. Free parking on site.
What happens if lidocaine infusion is not recommended?
Dr James will discuss the full range of treatments appropriate to your condition and provide a written, personalised treatment plan. This may include medication review, interventional procedures (e.g. nerve-root blocks, facet joint injections, peripheral nerve blocks), psychological pain therapies, physiotherapy referral, lifestyle advice, or onward referral. You only pay the consultation fee — there is no charge for the infusion you don’t have.
What should I do on the day of the infusion?
Eat lightly before the appointment; avoid alcohol the day before. Bring a list of current medications and any allergies. Wear loose clothing with sleeves you can roll up. Arrange a lift home or a taxi — do not drive for 24 hours after the infusion. The appointment takes about 90 minutes in total (60-minute infusion plus pre-procedure observations and a short recovery period).
Can I have repeat infusions?
Yes — if your first infusion gave a meaningful response, Dr James will discuss the right interval for repeat treatments. Many patients have infusions every 3–6 months as part of an integrated plan. Repeat infusions are at the standard infusion price of £540.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. The Vesey is a CQC-regulated private hospital and you can book the free pain review direct. If you have a GP letter, recent imaging or any pain-related clinic letters, please bring them to make the assessment more efficient.
Can I claim this on private medical insurance (BUPA, AXA, AVIVA, Vitality, WPA)?
Yes — most major insurers recognise lidocaine infusion for the conditions listed above. Pre-authorisation rules differ by insurer and policy. Call us on 0121 387 3727 with your membership number and policy details; we will help you obtain pre-authorisation before booking the consultation. The promotional package price applies to self-pay; insured pathways are billed per insurer tariff.
Where We Treat

Serving Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham & the West Midlands.

The Vesey is a CQC-regulated private hospital in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, within easy reach of Birmingham, Lichfield, Tamworth, Walsall, Solihull and the wider West Midlands. Patients travel to us for the pain infusion pathway from across the region.

Convenient for patients from: Sutton Coldfield · Birmingham city centre · Erdington · Wylde Green · Walmley · Boldmere · Streetly · Mere Green · Four Oaks · Edgbaston · Solihull · Shirley · Knowle · Lichfield · Tamworth · Walsall · Aldridge · Brownhills · Cannock · Burton-upon-Trent · Coleshill · Atherstone · Nuneaton · Bromsgrove · Redditch · Coventry — and across Staffordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands.

Free patient parking on site. Open 7 days, 8am to 8pm. The address is Unit 3, The Courtyard, Reddicap Trading Estate, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B75 7BU.

Book your free pain review.

30 minutes, no charge, no obligation. Reviewed by Dr Arul James before your case progresses. Open 7 days including Sundays. Free parking on site at Sutton Coldfield.

Book free pain review → Call 0121 387 3727 WhatsApp Us