Background When first introduced, the Modern Matron role was designed to have authority on leading on clinical strategy and governance, while also being an active presence on wards and in communities (Department of Health, 2000).

Aim As part of a wider partnership that established a multi-site palliative care hospital liaison team and a rapid response service, an innovative NHS Foundation Trust and a leading charity identified that a Modern Matron in Palliative and End of Life Care could support a joint strategy to improve care locally.

Method Several studies indicate variation in how Modern Matron roles are implemented in different areas (Savage & Scott, 2004; Read, Ashman, Scott et al., 2004). As the role is untested within a palliative care context, this work aims to better understand how this role works in practice. To explore this, an in-depth, case study interview was conducted with the Modern Matron in Palliative and End of Life Care.

Results Thematic analysis identified three priorities for the role:

• Linking strategy to day–to–day delivery through clinical leadership

• Creating a seamless service between hospital and community

• Value in partnership working.

Further, the Modern Matron is working to build nursing teams’ confidence in taking appropriate risk to enable improved patient outcomes.

Conclusion The interview indicates that using clinical leadership skills to create tangible links between strategy and day-to-day practice, and bridging care between hospital and community are key priorities for the Modern Matron for Palliative and End of Life Care role. The impact will be explored further in a future evaluation of the wider partnership.