Community Matrons provide expert care for patients with one or more long-term conditions who are at risk of deteriorating so that a hospital admission is necessary, or their quality of life will be affected significantly.
Community matrons work with other key members of the primary health care team, other health and social care professionals, and carers, to develop and deliver personalised care plans. They help to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, reduce the length of time people stay in hospital if an admission is needed, improve the quality of life for patients and support them to manage their own conditions.
They stay in contact with patients if they are admitted to hospital to ensure integrated care is maintained.
Community matrons work with patients who have a wide range of conditions including diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Coronary Heart Disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and HIV.
They are integrated within the wider district nursing teams and work closely and in partnership with other services including the Rapid Response team, urgent care services, specialist nurses, end of life lead and the reablement team, to provide joined up holistic care to our patients and their families.