Community matrons to play central role in chronic disease care
Community matrons will play a central role in the management of patients
with long-term conditions under changes announced this week by Health Secretary John Reid.
The NHS aims to train 800–1,000 nurses as community matrons by
the end of the year and 3,000 by March 2007. Each matron will care for
about 50 patients, giving one-to-one support to the most vulnerable patients
with long-term conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and arthritis. Initially
the 25,000 patients across the country with multiple, complex long-term
conditions will be targeted.
Community matrons will work alongside pharmacists to help reduce the
number of visits to GPs and hospitals that patients with long-term conditions
have to make. David Colin-Thomé, national clinical director for
primary care, said that pharmacists will play an important role in medicines
management and review, and screening of populations at risk for long-term
conditions such as diabetes.
Responding to the announcement, David Pruce, director of practice and
quality improvement at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Community
matrons will need the support of community pharmacists who should see
their appointment as a huge opportunity to extend and develop medicines
management services to people with long term conditions.”
The Society has recently appointed Robert Clayton as lead for long-term
conditions and public health. “This new role will be pivotal in
ensuring that the Society contributes to decision-making around both
the management of long term conditions and public health,” Mr Pruce
added.
Society p27 |
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