NJR Steering Committee

The NJR Steering Committee is an advisory non-departmental public body responsible for the work and progress of the NJR.

Mrs Laurel Powers-Freeling has been appointed to serve as the new Chair for the committee from 1 April 2011. Mrs Powers-Freeling has significant experience on both commercial and charity boards, as well as an understanding of joint replacement as a patient.

Professor Paul Gregg is Vice Chair for the committee. Professor Gregg is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and former President of the British Orthopaedic Association.

Responsibilities

The committee’s responsibilities include:

• Setting the NJR’s work programme and monitoring its progress.
• Providing advice to Ministers, orthopaedic units, hospitals and implant suppliers where the information shows concerns about the performance of certain prostheses.
• Setting the cost of the levy, based on the contractual costs of running the Registry and the work programme agreed.
• Providing an annual report to Ministers on the performance of the NJR and, following Ministerial agreement, to make publicly available.
• Establishing and monitoring codes of conduct for the contractor dealing with orthopaedic units within NHS trusts and independent healthcare providers, as well as the orthopaedic implant industry.
• Facilitating, where appropriate, the use of the NJR data for research purposes.

Members and representatives

The Steering Committee oversees the NJR’s activities and is made up of members and representatives from a range of stakeholder groups. Members of the Committee as of 1 April 2011 are:

Attendees from:

• Representatives : Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
• Representatives: NJR Contractors (Northgate Information Solutions & University of Bristol)
• Peter Howard: Chair, Regional Clinical Coordinators Network
• Andy Smallwood: NHS Procurement
• Robin Rice: Welsh Assembly Government
• Crina Cacou: Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency