Trust acknowledged for commitment to patient safety

Colleagues at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust are celebrating after being acknowledged for their commitment to patient safety for the seventh year running.

The Trust has received the National Joint Registry (NJR) Quality Data Provider Scheme award which recognises hospitals that consistently provide accurate data, helping to improve patient safety, standards in quality of care, and overall cost-effectiveness in joint replacement surgery.

To gain this recognition, hospitals must meet several specific requirements regarding the data they provide. Only hospitals that meet the strict targets outlined by the NJR are awarded the NJR Quality Data Provider Certificate and Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust has achieved scores of 90% or above for seven years in a row.

Since 2003, NJR has collected information about joint operations to improve patient safety and support clinicians and suppliers. It collects and analyses data about joint replacement surgery to improve service quality and deliver timely warnings on issues relating to patient safety. This means the Trust will be contacted by the NJR and advised to contact the patient immediately if issues arise with a joint implant.

The Orthopaedic Team at the Trust are pleased that all their hard work throughout the year has paid off. Sherri Curtis, Elective, Trauma and Orthopaedics Specialist Nurse at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “We are extremely proud of delivering safe and high-quality care for our patients here at Sherwood Forest Hospitals and are delighted that we have been recognised in achieving the National Joint Registry award for our contribution.”

Newark Hospital, which is run by the Trust, has consistently met the NJR’s targets since it started offering joint surgery there two years ago.

Procedures on offer at the site include hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder surgeries. More than £5m has been invested in the hospital since 2020, and a new state-of-the-art operating theatre, which will be known as the Newark Elective Hub is due to open next month (November 2023). You can read more about this here.

The new theatre will help to improve patient choice and access to health services as well as reduce elective backlogs and waiting times. Up to 2,600 extra operations and procedures are expected to take place at the hospital each year.

Patients are encouraged to ‘Ask for Newark’ with their GP or hospital team to find out if they can have their treatment there.