What the NJR and NCIP actually tell you

The National Joint Registry (NJR) and the National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP) are the two NHS data sources that let you compare any consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK on objective results, not marketing.

The NJR records every hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacement performed in the UK since 2003 and publishes each surgeon's revision rate and patient-reported outcome scores. NCIP sits alongside it and publishes the wider picture: how many of each procedure the surgeon performs each year, length of stay, readmission rate, complications and 90-day mortality.

Used together, they answer the two questions every patient wants to ask: does my surgeon do many of these operations, and do their results hold up over time?

How to find your surgeon's NJR profile

Every UK consultant who performs joint replacement has a public NJR profile. To look one up:

  • Go to surgeonprofile.njrcentre.org.uk.
  • Search by your surgeon's full name or, more reliably, by their GMC number (printed on most clinic letters).
  • Open the profile and look at the hip and knee tabs separately. The figures for hip and knee replacement are reported individually.

NCIP data is harder to access directly but most surgeons can email you their NCIP report on request, or share it during a consultation. Mr Hussain's NJR profile is here, and his NJR plus NCIP figures are summarised on the outcomes page.

Annotated screenshot NJR surgeon profile, with the key fields labelled Image slot ready: drop in the annotated NJR profile screenshot (arrows pointing at primary volume, revision count, revision rate and the national comparator).
How to read an NJR surgeon profile. The four fields that matter most are highlighted: number of primary procedures, number of revisions, the surgeon's revision rate, and the national average for comparison.

What "good" looks like in the numbers

National averages are the right benchmark for any patient comparing surgeons.

  • Hip replacement revision rate: around 1.6 percent across UK surgeons over the ten-year reporting period. Lower is better.
  • Knee replacement revision rate: around 2 percent over the same period. Lower is better.
  • PROMs (Oxford Hip Score and Oxford Knee Score): a 0-to-48 questionnaire scored before and after surgery. The improvement score, not the raw post-operative score, is what to compare. A meaningful improvement is roughly 14 points or more.
  • NCIP volume: high-volume specialist surgeons (typically 50+ primary hip or knee replacements per year) consistently report lower complication rates than low-volume surgeons. Volume is one of the strongest predictors of outcome in the published literature.
Annotated screenshot NCIP consultant dashboard, with the key metrics labelled Image slot ready: drop in the annotated NCIP dashboard screenshot (arrows pointing at procedure volume, 90-day mortality, readmission rate, length of stay, infection rate).
How to read an NCIP consultant dashboard. The most useful columns are annual procedure volume, 90-day mortality, 30-day readmission, surgical site infection rate, and length of stay, each compared against the national mean.

What to ignore and what to look at twice

A few patterns are commonly misread.

  • Ignore the raw revision count. A surgeon with 11 revisions out of 2,000 primary hips is doing significantly better than one with 5 revisions out of 200. Always look at the rate, not the absolute number.
  • Be cautious of a perfect zero. Surgeons with very few primary procedures will often appear to have a flawless record, simply because they have not done enough surgery for any revisions to appear yet. Volume matters.
  • Look at case mix where you can. Surgeons who accept complex referrals (revision, severe deformity, previous failed surgery) operate on higher-risk patients. A specialist with strong results despite a heavy complex caseload is a stronger marker of skill than the same revision rate built from straightforward primary cases.
  • Don't over-weight patient reviews alone. Doctify and Google reviews tell you about the consultation experience and bedside manner; they do not measure surgical outcome. The NJR and NCIP do.
The bottom line

Ask your surgeon for two things: their NJR surgeon profile link, and a copy of their most recent NCIP report. A specialist who is confident in their results will share both without hesitation. Mr Hussain's NJR and NCIP figures are published here.