The Health Department is on track to launch a fibromyalgia clinic offered through the public health centres network, according to Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne.

“Appreciative of the ordeal that fibromyalgia can signify, we are striving to launch a new service that will afford specialised treatment to these patients,” Mr Fearne said during the Arthritis and Rheumatology Association’s general meeting.

The debilitating chronic pain disorder causes widespread muscle pain and tiredness, and is associated with anxiety and depression. Sufferers are highly sensitive to touch, so that even a minor knock can be extremely painful.

Mr Fearne also spoke about the need to improve services for patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions, which amount to 30 per cent of all consultations by general practitioners. With an ageing population, conditions such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are now expected to increase.

“Our plans for the rebirth of St Luke’s Hospital now encompass a purposely built top-notch rehabilitation centre,” he said.