Recognizing the importance of palliative care skills for community matrons

Caring for people at the end of their lives is an important role for many health and social care professionals. One of the key aspects of this role is to discuss with individuals their preferences regarding the type of care and the location of that care. These discussions need to be handled with skill and sensitivity and the outcomes of such discussions then need to be documented, reviewed and communicated to other relevant people subject to the patient's agreement. The community matron is well placed to handle this planning. Several audits have demonstrated that end-of-life planning and palliative care are crucial aspects of the community matron's role. Training, development and support are therefore key to ensuring effective and efficient care planning to ensure positive outcomes for patients at the end of life.