Shropshire: RJAH picks up prestigious data award again

The hospital has been named as a National Joint Registry (NJR) Quality Data Provider, after successfully completing a national programme of local data audits. 

This is the fifth year running that RJAH has been named a Quality Data Provider, which was introduced to help hospitals with patient safety standards. 

The NJR monitor the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement operations to improve clinical outcomes primarily for the benefit of patients, but also to support orthopaedic clinicians and industry manufacturers. 

Sammy Davies, quality outcomes manager, said: “In order to achieve this award, we are required to meet a series of six targets. 

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“One of the targets ensures that the NJR is collecting and reporting upon the most complete, accurate data possible across all hospitals who are performing joint replacement surgery, including us at RJAH.  

“Completing the data submission is no easy task and takes dedication from the team who upload this information and ensure every piece of surgical data is chased and uploaded.

“I have to say a special thank you to Fee Goodwin, theatre administrator, who works so hard to ensure we receive this status each year.” 

The registry collects high quality orthopaedic data in order to provide evidence to support patient safety, standards in quality of care, and overall cost-effectiveness in joint replacement surgery. 

Stacey Keegan, chief executive at RJAH, said: “Improving patient safety is something we take very seriously at RJAH, and we fully support the NJR’s work in facilitating improvements in clinical outcomes and governance. 

“Well done to the team involved in this work – we’re delighted to have been awarded as an NJR Quality Data Provider.” 

NJR targets also involve having a high-level of patients consenting for their details to be included on the registry, and for hospitals to demonstrate timely responses to any potential patient safety alerts.  

Tim Wilton, NJR medical director, said: “Congratulations to RJAH – the Quality Data Provider Award demonstrates the high standards being met towards ensuring compliance with the NJR and reflects strong 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 services.”