For the second year running all Nuffield Health hospitals performing joint replacement surgery in England and Wales have been awarded the highest ‘Gold Quality Data Award’ by the National Joint Registry (NJR) for their commitment to patient safety.
The NJR monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement procedures to improve clinical outcomes for the benefit of patients. The award is available to all NHS and independent sector hospitals performing joint replacement surgery in England and Wales, and it recognises those hospitals that have met the registry’s highest data quality standards.
The ‘NJR Quality Data Provider’ scheme was introduced to offer all orthopaedic service providers in the NHS and independent sector public recognition. To achieve an award, providers are required to meet a series of six ambitious targets, one of which is compliance with the NJR’s mandatory national audit aimed at assessing data completeness and quality within the registry.
Since the 2022/23 audit year, a three-tier (gold, silver and bronze) awarding system has been applied to further encourage all hospitals to strive to achieve the best data quality standard. This is the second year in a row that all its eligible hospitals, 34 in total, have achieved the highest ‘gold’ award by the NJR, meaning they have met 100% of the data quality requirements.
Mr Tim Wilton, National Joint Registry Medical Director, said: “The NJR Quality Data Provider ‘Gold‘ standard is awarded only when the very highest standards are being met in ensuring the timely quality of hospital data on the NJR and is often a reflection of strong departmental efforts to achieve such status. As well as being a fundamental driver to inform improved quality of care for patients, registry data provides an important source of evidence for regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission, to inform their judgements about the quality of health services.
“We send our heartfelt congratulations to Nuffield Health’s hospitals and their clinical teams for their full set of ‘Gold’ standard awards this year.”
Mr Arthur Stephen, Chief Medical Officer at Nuffield Health, said: “As an Orthopaedic surgeon I experience first-hand the benefits of the NJR. Achieving ‘Gold’ across the charity for the second consecutive year is an outstanding achievement. Our teams have entered a staggering 23,000 records, met six ambitious targets and obtained a 100% audit score to secure ‘Gold’ status.
“These awards continue to demonstrate the hard work and dedication that all our highly-qualified orthopaedic teams place on patient safety, quality and outcomes. Their relentless focus on patient safety allows them to achieve the highest standards and results.”
Alison McCourt, Chief Clinical and Quality Officer at Nuffield Health, said: “The NJR Gold Award plays a vital role in promoting quality healthcare by recognising those who excel in joint replacement procedures, fostering a culture of transparency, and encouraging continuous improvement in clinical outcomes. It ultimately helps ensure that patients receive the safest, most effective care possible. I'm delighted that all 34 of our hospitals across England and Wales have achieved the Gold Award for the second consecutive year.”
