Caseload analysis in district nursing: the impact on practice

This paper describes a ten-year journey in managing a district nursing service using caseload analysis as a method of workforce planning and performance management. Caseload management is at the heart of district nursing practice and the process of measuring and comparing caseload information can be used to improve the quality of care. However, it is crucial to assess the information provided by district nurses for reliability and validity. Allocating staff to teams on the basis of accurate information on patient case-mix, nursing need, and dependency can result in every member of the population gaining equitable access to a consistent quality nursing service.