A NEW breed of nurses are handing the power back to patients at East Lancashire's hospitals.

Three new super-matrons are set to provide a direct link between patients and on-the-ground staff to the top-level trust directors.

The trio, who have all been matrons in the hospital after working their way up the nursing ladder, will be directly responsible for making sure every patient leaves hospital happy with their treatment.

Former bed management matron John Goodenough, senior surgical nurse Hilary Wallbank, and former rehabilitation ward matron Kathy Bonney will ensure that all staff are following guidelines, advise on new policies, and report any problems on the wards directly to director of clinical care Lynn Wissett.

Mrs Bonney, 43, who will concentrate on protecting children and the most vulnerable adult patients, said her new role would mean she could use her experience both as an ordinary nurse, and as a team manager.

She said: "I've been a nurse 25 years so I've spent a lot of time on the wards, and I will be continuing to do so in my new role.

"The point of what we do will be to provide a good link. I'm not going to be in an ivory tower. I understand the problems the nurses have in putting new policies and new ideas into place, and I can help the directors fit their ideas in with what the nursing staff are actually able to do with what they have.

"But ultimately, everything we do will be about making patients’ experiences better. We have to fulfill our government targets, but when it comes down to it, everything is about the patient and whether they are happy with what they have received.”

Mrs Bonney said they would work closely with existing matrons, who were reintroduced to our hosptials in 2005.

She said: “They do an awful lot of work, and really know what is going on in their departments.

"We will be auditing a lot of different things, and working right across the trust, in Blackburn, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

"We have been through a lot of changes with the change of sites and there are even more changes on the way, and it's about supporting everyone through those changes."

Mr Goodenough will concentrate on patient experience, including infection control, while Mrs Wallbank will be taking charge of developing education – feeding new information through to staff and building up staff training.

Trust chief executive Marie Burnham said: "The lead matrons will be a very important part of our service and real figureheads for all our staff to work with.

"I'm delighted to have appointed all three very experienced staff members who will be a great asset to the hospitals trust."