A HOSPITAL in York is celebrating after being awarded for its commitment to patient safety.

Clifton Park Hospital has been recognised by the National Joint Registry (NJR) after completing a national programme of local data audits.

The boost comes as the hospital in Shipton Road is working towards achieving centre of excellence accreditation for orthopaedic treatment.

The NJR monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement operations to improve clinical outcomes, and to support orthopaedic clinicians and industry manufacturers.

The registry collects orthopaedic data to provide evidence to support patient safety, standards in care, and cost-effectiveness in joint replacement surgery.

The NJR Quality Data Provider certificate scheme offers hospitals a blueprint for reaching high standards relating to patient safety and to reward those who have met the targets.

Paul Mortimer, head of clinical services at Clifton Park Hospital, said: “Improving patient safety is of the upmost importance and something all staff take very seriously.

"We fully support the National Joint Registry’s work in facilitating improvement in clinical outcomes and governance for the benefit of joint replacement patients and we’re delighted to be awarded as an NJR quality data provider.”

To achieve the award, hospitals are required to meet six targets during the audit period 2019/20.

This includes compliance with the NJR’s mandatory national audit aimed at assessing data completeness and quality within the registry.

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 Clifton Park Hospital.

NJR targets also include having a high level of patients consenting for their details to be included in the registry and for hospitals to demonstrate timely responses to any alerts issued by the NJR in relation to potential patient safety concerns.

NJR medical director, Tim Wilton, said: “Congratulations to colleagues at Clifton Park Hospital. 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.”

Launched in 2006, the purpose-built hospital has 24 beds, two theatres, a day case unit, a large outpatient department with X-ray facilities and on-site physiotherapy, including a small gym area.

In 2018, it opened a new outpatient department with consulting rooms, treatment rooms and x-ray facilities.