University of Liverpool: The British Orthopaedic Surgery Surveillance (BOSS) study is a mechanism for researching the treatment of rare orthopaedic diseases within the UK.

Data-sharing agreement from NHS Digital registers of approved data releases, 2014–2019. Evidence status: source reported.

Organisation: University of Liverpool
Source reference: DARS-NIC-14337-J4N1T-v1.5
Jurisdiction: England
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0, subject to NHS England terms and exclusions

Register reference: DARS-NIC-14337-J4N1T-v1.5
Agreement period: not published to no end date published
For commercial purposes (as marked in the register): Not stated
Release files listed by NHS England: 14

Data approved

Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care

Objective, as published

The British Orthopaedic Surgery Surveillance (BOSS) study is a mechanism for researching the treatment of rare orthopaedic diseases within the UK. The methodology detailed in the study protocol is in keeping with similar successful studies of rare diseases performed in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), BAPS-CASS (British Association of Paediatric Surgeons – Congenital Anomaly Surveillance Study) and BPSU (British Paediatric Surveillance Unit). In these studies, routine data (i.e. disease and anomaly registers) is often used to verify the completeness of case ascertainment – though this is the first time that HES has been used to attempt to augment case identification. The diseases of interest within the BOSS Study are Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE), and Perthes’ disease. Both are rare hip diseases of adolescence. SCFE is always admitted to hospital for surgery, therefore the data captured within HES is likely to be good. Perthes’ disease is only occasionally admitted; therefore HES data is unlikely to be useful to identify cases of new disease. The data processing and analysis hereafter relates solely to SCFE. All orthopaedic units treating children within the UK are being asked to submit data to the service evaluation/ audit (supported by Orthopaedic Specialist Societies, NICE and the National Clinical Director for Children). The orthopaedic units submit details of the surgery performed using RedCap (which is a clinical trials d…

Expected benefits, as published

The information that will be collected from this, the British Orthopaedic Surgery Surveillance (BOSS) study, has been planned in conjunction with patients, their parents and treating clinicians. The formation of a prospective SCFE database was a recommendation by NICE in their recent review of SCFE – the BOSS study is therefore meeting this demand. The information gained from the BOSS study will be the largest study undertaken into the rare disease of SCFE, and will yield information concerning the effects of different interventions on patient outcomes. This will have direct implications for the way that surgical care is delivered, with surgeons being able to benchmark their practice against others. The findings of the BOSS study will inform the feasibility of a clinical trial into interv…

Source: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/2019/https://digital.nhs.uk/binaries/content/assets/legacy/excel/2/1/releaseregister20171201_20180228.xlsx. Captured 2026-10-30.

Limitations: Agreement as recorded in an NHS Digital register of approved data releases (2014–2019), retrieved from the UK Government Web Archive. That register lists releases made in its period and the agreement's purpose statement as it then stood; it gives no agreement dates, and the agreement may have changed since. Imported only where a paper quotes a reference no current register holds.