Patient satisfaction survey
Between November 2013 and September 2014, 314 patients attending nurse-led GONI clinics were invited to complete a 14-item patient satisfaction questionnaire, with space for free text. A total of 104 patients were recruited during this period.
Patients who had been referred to the clinic had:
Moderate to severe symptoms that had a significant impact on quality of life;
Failed two standard prophylactic treatments for headache;
Tenderness over one or over both areas of the head supplied by the greater occipital nerve - this had previously been found to be predictive of positive therapeutic response (Afridi et al, 2006).
All injections were performed by nurses. A mixture of 4ml 0.5% bupivacaine and 4ml 2% lignocaine was injected occipitally, 1-2cm below the midpoint between the occipital tubercle and mastoid process (see Fig 1, attached). There are three band 6 nurses who can independently perform GONI.