Community Matrons
 

As most of you know I recently spent a few days in dock, and being a chronic chest patient I am under the supervision of the COPD team and yesterday had an home visit from a respiratory nurse, just to check that everything was okay. During the visit she mention that there are community matrons who look after patients with chronic disorders such as mine, in their own homes. I have to say that I had never heard of this before, but was very interested to say the least. It appears that they keep teir eyes on people an are able to write prescriptions for anti biotics ect, and in a lot of cases prevent unnecessary hospital admitions and at the same time taking the strain of the doctors. To me this is a great idea, anything that averts a trip to the Royal will do for me, as I do not like the thought of to many hospital stays.

Re: Community Matrons
 

sounds like a god idea jaysay.. must be more comfortable at home

Re: Community Matrons
 

glad you found that info mate, what alarms me,is ya had yer illness fer a good while n ya only just been told about this. that is not good.:(

Re: Community Matrons
 

What a great idea, hope it helps you jaysay

Re: Community Matrons
 

Re: Community Matrons
 

Would imagine it to be quite a new thing if chronic suffers like Jaysay aren't aware of it

Re: Community Matrons
 

It looks like they have existed for over a year if their website is anything to go by
Community Matrons UK - Resources, Links and News*****

Re: Community Matrons
 

Lack of cmmunication seems to be evident then;)

Re: Community Matrons
 

A bit like District Nurses in days gone by.

What goes around comes around I guess.

But in this day and age where money is god, is it cost effective? How many patients would a Community Matron see during an 8 hours day? 8, 10, 12 at the most unless her charges lived close to each other.

If her charges were all in one place, like a hospital, couldn’t that Community Matron attend to more patients during those 8 hours?

When I was in hospital with a pulmonary embolism once the daily blood clot busting drug was injected, the vampires came around and took some blood and I was given the prescribed dose of Warfarin I was left to my own devices. I spent most of my daylight time in the hospital grounds and only appeared on the ward at meal times and when required. Of course the ward nurses knew where I was when I was off ward but really it was a waste of a bed.

From the patient’s and their relatives view Community Matrons has to be great. I’m all for it in spite of the cost effective point.

Re: Community Matrons
 

The idea JB is to keep people like myself OUT of hospital. The fact is as soon as my condition was stable when I was in recently, both the hospital and myself wanted to get out for two reasons, first heaven knows what else you can pick up as an in patient, especially when your imune system is very low because of high dose steriod treatment and secondly you pick up far better in your own environment. As far as the cost is concerned, to me it would be far more cost effective to see people in their own home than in an hospial bed, god knows what it cost for a days stay these days

Re: Community Matrons
 

I think he was agreeing with you Jaysay, but he just doesn't think it's very cost effective considering the NHS is ona tight budget as it is, so in reality this service probably isn't available to everyone like you, just the ones they manage to get around to.

Re: Community Matrons
 

Seeing its a relatively new consept, its a matter of being refared (which I have been now) Maybe the fact that I have been very compitent in self treatment at home (I have all the drugs and equipment necessary) over many years, is the reason I have not seen or been refared for this service. It is very rare that I have to call out my GP, and even when I do is usually regrding someting other than chest problems. But the fact is that as you get older and sufer from a chronic ailement, you tend to need more help and if by seeing a communiy matron, it keeps me out of hospital it is definately a plus

Re: Community Matrons
 

A bit more info on the community matrons, they are based at Accrington Vic and have an appointment for a home visit a week on monday, which is rather quick as I was told it usually takes 3 weeks for a referal to get through