Leesbrook Surgery - Matron Survey Analysis and Report
Community Matrons aim to support patients who have complex long-term conditions and may currently have a high-intensity use of the health care system. Through their role Matrons, provide advanced specialist nursing care, support patients to remain at home longer and enable them to have more choices about their health care. Matrons, work proactively with patients and carers to coordinate the individual health and social care a patient needs
Summary
In Spring 2022 Leesbrook Surgery approached Healthwatch Oldham to undertake a review via engagement with their patients. We did this through a survey which the practice helped promote and publicise. The engagement with patients was done to understand their views around their matron service. Matron’s working for the practice, are experienced nurses, who work closely with GPs, District Nurses, and other community-based services, like therapists for example. Matrons can be experts in assessing complex medical problems and supporting people who live with long-term conditions. In 2019 the survey made staffing changes to the Matron Service, and from having a part-time offer this changed to full-time offer. Given the challenges around Covid-19, this engagement work couldn’t have taken place sooner given the sheer pressure facing primary care, and urgent competing priorities.
Patients who took part in our survey gave several reasons for using and being referred to the matron service facilitated by Leesbrook Surgery. Respondents, circumstances such as following up on test results, needing to discuss new medication and a partner needing help with the care of their husband because he was suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Two different family members shared with us, they were able to make a self-referral for their loved ones, one patient was recovering from a stroke and the other had just been diagnosed with dementia. From the feedback we have received, through the referrals into the Matron Service, it is evident overall 3 that patients can experience a focused intervention, whilst also having the opportunity to have their unmet health and social care needs to be addressed, at times through complex health and social care interventions.
Our engagement focused on finding out what patients’ experiences were of the service on the ground given the changes that had taken place, and to ascertain for the surgery if the service was impactful, as well as looking for any obvious areas for improvement. Our report, set’s out our findings following a period of engagement.
Key Findings included:
- Needs being Met by Surgery Matron-: Within the survey, patients have been given the chance to express their opinion as to whether their ‘Needs’ were being met by the Surgery Matron. From a total of 20 responses to the survey, all 20 reported that “Yes” their needs were being met.
- Experience of the Matron Service: ‘During the survey respondents were asked if they could give a view on the following statement, ‘I thought my experience of the Matron Service was really good’. From a total number of 20 respondents, 16 said they ‘strongly agree’, whilst 4 said they ‘agree.’ This illustrates the level of confidence that patients and carers have in the Matron Service.
- Matron Service and Impact on Health and Care: As part of the survey, respondents were asked if they felt having a Matron during the surgery was a benefit to their health and care. Out of a total of 20 responses, all 20 answered, “Yes”.
- Patient Management of Health and Care: Respondents were asked if there had been a positive change in the management of their health by having a Matron Service within the Surgery. Over 50% (11 responses) of those who took part in the survey said they ‘strongly agreed’ that they had seen a positive experience in the management of their health as a result. Other responses included, (3) people saying they ‘agreed’ with this statement, whilst (5) said they neither agreed nor disagreed. One respondent chose not to answer this question. Therefore, the majority of respondents were of the view that the offer of the Matron Service has impacted positively on their health and care.
Prevention of Hospital Admission: Respondents were asked if they felt the Matron Service at the surgery had prevented them from presenting at the hospital or needing to be admitted to a hospital. From the total 20 responses (13) responded “Yes” they felt the matron service was preventing them from presenting at a hospital or being admitted, however (6) responded “No” they did not, and one chose not to respond to this. Therefore over 50% of total respondents felt the service did contribute to preventing demand and admission at the hospital.
