What is the NJR?
The National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales was established in 2002. Its purpose is to define, improve and maintain the quality of care of individuals receiving hip and knee joint replacement surgery across the NHS and the independent healthcare sector.
Hip and knee joint replacements have become common and highly successful operations that bring many patients improved mobility and relief from pain. Thousands of such operations take place in the UK every year.
A wide range of implants can be used in the joint replacement operations that are carried out in the NHS and independent healthcare sectors across England and Wales. The Registry helps to monitor the performance of these implants and the effectiveness of different types of surgery, improving clinical standards and benefiting patients, clinicians and the orthopaedic industry.
From 1 April 2008, the NJR was incorporated into the National Clinical Audit and Patients' Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP). NCAPOP was previously managed by the Healthcare Commission and the NJR by the Department of Health. Both are now managed by a consortium comprising the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Nursing and the Long Term Conditions Alliance, known as the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP).
Aims and objectives
- To establish certain demographic and diagnostic characteristics of patients undergoing hip and knee joint replacement surgery throughout England and Wales.
- To ensure that patients obtain the best clinical care during and following their joint replacement operation.
- To ensure that NHS and other healthcare resources are best used.
- To improve surgical practice through the identification of best practice in orthopaedic units and hospitals.
- To isolate any implants showing high failure rates so as to allow their prompt removal from the market if necessary.
- To improve evidence-based purchasing of joint replacement implants for orthopaedic units and hospitals.
- To provide evidence of the best performing implants to patients, clinicians, healthcare purchasers, commissioners, regulators and implant suppliers.