More than 100,000 hernia operations take place across the UK every year, but until now, there has been no national system to measure how patients get on after treatment.  

The development of the British Hernia Society (BHS) Registry follows increasing calls for greater transparency and monitoring of surgical outcomes, particularly in response to concerns raised around the use of mesh in surgery, including those highlighted in the Cumberlege First Do No Harm report. The Registry has been designed to provide robust, prospective data to support safer practice and improve patient confidence. 

Today, the British Hernia Society (BHS) has published the Inaugural Annual Report of its new national hernia registry, the BHS Registry, a milestone achievement that delivers the comprehensive data clinicians have called for.  

Importantly, the Registry provides the first national dataset on patient reported outcome measures.  It captures detailed information on operative techniques, including whether mesh is used, enabling meaningful analysis of outcomes over time. 

For the first time, surgeons can compare approaches at a national scale, and identify which techniques deliver fewer complications and quicker recovery. This will help expose unwarranted variation and spread best practice, so patients get consistent care wherever they are treated. 

In its first year, the Registry has captured over 2,200 hernia repairs from more than 230 surgeons across more than 60 hospitals, alongside patient-reported outcomes. Early data shows high patient satisfaction and good quality of life after surgery.  

The BHS is urging all surgeons and healthcare organisations performing hernia surgery to contribute and help build a comprehensive national dataset.  

Mr Liam Horgan, Chair of the British Hernia Society (BHS) Registry Subcommittee and Past President of the BHS, said: 
“For the first time, we now have early data to help us understand national hernia outcomes which will ultimately improve the quality of patient care. Surgeons will also be able to learn from each other to deliver better results for patients. We encourage every surgeon who does hernia surgery and all hospitals to take part.”