Annex 4
Community matrons and impact on emergency admissions
4.1 Case management services, led by a community
matron or other case managers are a key element of the Government's
strategy for improving care for people with long term conditions
and reducing emergency bed days. The service aims to provide more
proactive, coordinated care in community settings through community
matrons and other case managers working as part of joint health
and social care teams, reducing emergency admissions and enabling
patients who are admitted to return home more quickly.
4.2 The Department is encouraging Primary
Care Trusts to develop their own systems for identifying the impact
of community matrons on improved patient care and emergency bed
days. We are developing a balanced scorecard to help PCTs measure
the impact of the service.
4.3 The case management service provided
by community matrons is still in early implementation stages across
the NHS. Its benefits, nationally, in reducing emergency bed days
are not yet being fully realised. We do expect community matrons
and case management to have an impact on reducing admissions across
the NHS once the service has fully embedded locally.
4.4 A number of PCTs are nevertheless already
showing the impact the service can have. Information from the
NHS Employers' large scale workforce change programme which focused
on long term conditions, showed that:
4.5 Kingston PCT and The Royal Borough of
Kingston saved 565 bed days in six months by five community matrons
implementing integrated working and case management. They have
calculated that this approach saved £127,000 over the six
month period.
4.6 North Lincolnshire PCT saved 136 bed
days for five patients in six months by community matrons adopting
the case management approach. They have calculated that this approach
saved them £26,517 over this period.
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