Community matrons: inter-professional and inter-agency working (part five).

This is the penultimate article developed from a series of masterclasses organised and funded by the Department of Health for community matrons during summer 2006. The articles synthesise the masterclass content in order to describe the areas of practice that are common to the community matron role and which have to be practiced with high levels of knowledge and skill if community matrons are to deliver the expected benefits to patients and to the NHS. It uses a case study to explore the fundamental concepts of accountability, teamwork; knowing the system; assertiveness; advocacy and empowerment which community matrons identified consistently as being significant in ensuring successful interprofessional and inter-agency working.