Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a Scottish Joint Registry that would provide performance information for (a) hip, (b) knee, (c) ankle, (d) elbow and (e) shoulder joint replacement surgeons.
Monitoring of joint replacement procedures in Scotland is already in place through the Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP) within Public Health Scotland. This work predates the establishment of the National Joint Registry in 1999.
SNAP performs many of the functions of a joint registry. It monitors the volume of procedures undertaken and associated complications, and it identifies outlier departments and surgeons. There is a robust reporting process, including case reviews from outliers and an escalation policy where required.
Currently, monitoring applies to joint replacements carried out within NHS Health Boards for NHS patients. The private sector does not currently supply data on procedures undertaken in their institutions.