I live in France and the approach here to pain relief is very gradual, I was in a hospital with severe headaches, the nurse came every time I rang her and gave me mild pain medicines (alternating sometimes because it didn't work).
I am glad they didn't bring in the big guns, I am a bit worried about morphine and heroin stuff we read on the internet.
In most European countries, opioid painkillers will only be administered in hospitals when pain is so strong that you can't fight it with Ibuprofen or Aspirin (e.g. after surgeries).
I don't know a single person here in Europe who got a recipe for opioids by a GP or after leaving the hospital. That's not because pain is not treated but because doctors realise how dangerous opioids are.
In the most European countries co-codamol is OTC without a prescription.
I think it's quite common to get co-codamol or dihydrocodeine from a GP in the UK. However, this is really weak in comparison to the high-dose oxy or hydrocodone that US doctors seem to prescribe.
CO-Codamol has a comparably low codeine content which would likely make it less addictive (only guessing, not a doctor). It's a prescription drug in the UK.
Will probably depend on the doctor but the GPs I have seen in the UK have preferred Ibuprofen if it can treat the pain.
I am glad they didn't bring in the big guns, I am a bit worried about morphine and heroin stuff we read on the internet.