12th September 2023
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&O) service has recorded a hat-trick of national awards for the high-quality information it provides about joint replacement surgery.
The team has gained national accreditation as a NJR Quality Data Provider for their commitment to patient safety, for the third successive year. It first won the award in 2021.
The NJR monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow, and shoulder joint replacement operations to improve clinical outcomes. It does this primarily for patients; benefit, but also to support orthopaedic clinicians.
Hospitals must meet six key targets to achieve the award, including compliance with the NJR’s mandatory NJR data submission quality audit process.
The NJR Data Quality Audit compares the number of joint replacement procedures submitted to the registry to the number carried out and recorded in the local hospital Patient Administration System.
The T & O service was established in 2008 to treat a range of bone and joint conditions. The purpose built Trauma and Orthopaedics Unit at Craigavon opened in 2010, including dedicated theatres, recovery areas and ward space. The team also offers outpatients services from Daisy Hill Hospital.
Brigeen Kelly, Head of Service for T & O said:
“Improving patient safety is a key priority and is something all our staff take very seriously.
“The team deserve an enormous amount of credit for their work day in, day out to meet and demonstrate these standards and we are very proud of them.”
Cathrine Reid, Director of Surgery and Clinical Services, said:
“We are delighted to be recognised as an ‘NJR Quality Data Provider’. This 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.
“Ensuring the safety of our patients and providing them with the best possible care and outcomes is at the heart of everything we do.”