In England and Wales more than 175 000 hip and
knee arthroplasties were performed in 2012. There continues to be a
steady increase in the demand for joint arthroplasty because of
population demographics and improving survivorship. Inevitably though
the absolute number of periprosthetic infections will probably increase
with severe consequences on healthcare provision. The Department
of Health and the Health Protection Agency in United Kingdom established
a Surgical Site Infection surveillance service (SSISS) in 1997 to
undertake surveillance of surgical site infections. In 2004 mandatory
reporting was introduced for one quarter of each year. There has
been a wide variation in reporting rates with variable engagement
with the process. The aim of this article is to improve surgeon
awareness of the process and emphasise the importance of engaging
with SSISS to improve the quality and type of data submitted. In
Exeter we have been improving our practice by engaging with SSISS.
Orthopaedic surgeons need to take ownership of the data that are
submitted to ensure these are accurate and comprehensive. Cite this article:
