This prestigious award reflects the hospital’s outstanding commitment to the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of joint replacement surgery data submitted to the NJR – the world’s largest orthopaedic registry. Achieving gold status requires hospitals to meet rigorous audit and compliance standards, demonstrating exemplary practice and a strong culture of patient safety.
This latest recognition marks another significant milestone for the Trust’s theatre and orthopaedic teams, who have enjoyed a year of exceptional national success.
Earlier this year, The QEH was ranked among the top-performing hospitals in England for joint replacement outcomes, including the shortest hospital stays in the country for partial knee replacement surgery and top ten performance nationally for hip and full knee replacements.
The hospital was also the first in Norfolk to perform a same-day hip replacement, underscoring its role as a leader in innovation and enhanced recovery.
These achievements build on the Trust’s previous success in securing NJR Gold status earlier in 2025, highlighting sustained excellence across the programme.
Helen Smith, Theatre Manager at The QEH, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive Gold Level status from the NJR. This award represents the hard work, vigilance and professionalism of every member of our theatre and orthopaedic teams. Accurate data is essential for ensuring patient safety and driving improvements in care, and this recognition shows just how committed our staff are to delivering the highest standards for our patients.”
Rebecca Martin, Medical Director at The QEH, said: “This award reinforces our dedication to evidence-based practice and high-quality clinical care. The theatres and orthopaedics teams have demonstrated consistent commitment to excellence – not only in their data quality but also in the exceptional outcomes we’ve achieved this year across joint replacement surgery. My sincere thanks go to every colleague involved.”
Chris Bown, Interim Executive Managing Director, added: “Huge congratulations to everyone in theatres and orthopaedics for securing yet another Gold NJR award. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the dedication and high standards of our teams.”
The QEH continues to work closely with the NJR to ensure that every joint replacement procedure is captured accurately and used to improve patient care locally, nationally and internationally. The Trust is committed to maintaining and building on these high standards as part of its ongoing mission to deliver exceptional care and continually improve clinical outcomes.
Ends. Notes to editors; For media enquiries only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216. For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.
About the NJR:
The NJR covers England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey, and is the world’s largest orthopaedic registry, holding more than four million procedure records. It monitors the performance of joint replacement implants and supports improvements in patient safety and clinical standards across the sector.
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