Patient safety accolade for Hartlepool hospital

The University Hospital of Hartlepool has been awarded a Quality Data Provider certificate by the National Joint Register (NJR), which monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement operations to improve clinical outcomes.

Only hospitals that achieve the NJR’s targets of providing evidence to support patient safety, quality of care standards, and overall cost-effectiveness in joint replacement surgery, can get the prestigious award.

Chris Tulloch, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust’s deputy medical director and orthopaedic surgeon, said: “Anything that improves patient safety is to be welcomed and we enthusiastically share our information with the NJR.

“The NJR collates and uses the data to draw conclusions and improve orthopaedic procedures so it’s absolutely essential that we provide the correct information in a timely manner.

“We’re thrilled to receive the Quality Data Provider certificate.”

The team at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust who made this accolade possible includes The Homeward Team, theatre support worker Ruth Allan, healthcare assistant Deborah Race and clinical quality and data management leads Sue Waller, Linda Wildberg and Carolyn Brown.

The NJR Data Quality Audit investigates the accurate number of joint replacement procedures submitted to the registry compared to the number carried out and recorded in the local hospital Patient Administration System.

The audit ensures that the NJR is collecting and reporting upon the most complete, accurate data possible across all hospitals performing joint replacement operations, including the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

NJR medical director Tim Wilton said: “Congratulations to colleagues at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

“The Quality Data Provider Award demonstrates the high standards being met towards ensuring compliance with the NJR and is often a reflection of strong departmental efforts to achieve such status.

“Registry data now provides an important source of evidence for regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission, to inform their judgements about services, as well as being a fundamental driver to inform improved quality of care for patients.”

Earlier this week the hospital announced it was extending it’s ‘day patient’ joint surgery service to include full knee replacements.