Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in the East Midlands: hospitals compared

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a swelling in the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart through the tummy. Most do not cause problems, but a large aneurysm can burst, which is a life-threatening emergency. Men are offered an ultrasound screening test when they turn 65.

A large aneurysm may be repaired with a planned operation, either open surgery or a stent inserted through the arteries in the groin (endovascular repair). The National Vascular Registry publishes the number of planned repairs at each trust and deaths in hospital afterwards, adjusted for differences between patients. Call 999 for sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back.

Hospitals in the East Midlands

6 trusts in the East Midlands with published figures. Sorted by name. This is not a ranking: read how to read this first.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair: trusts in the East Midlands, Planned (elective) AAA repairs in 2024 (NVR)
TrustVolume bandPlanned (elective) AAA repairs in 2024 (NVR)Key outcomeDeaths in hospital after planned repair (adjusted)Waiting timeWhole trustPatient experienceCQC rating
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Bassetlaw District General Hospital, Retford HospitalCase ascertainment published as 20%-29%: not every operation was entered in the registry.Fewer than 255 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20247.1%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 1.16 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 70 cases, 26.2 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 3 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyAbout the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.4 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Bassetlaw District General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Bassetlaw District General Hospital)
Retford Hospital: Good (CQC report for Retford Hospital)
Northampton General Hospital NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Northampton General Hospital25 to 3937 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20244.5%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 1.18 (Higher than expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 60 cases, 24.6 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 2 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyWorse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.7 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Requires improvement (CQC report for Northampton General Hospital)
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Nottingham City Hospital, Queen’s Medical Centre25 to 3937 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20242.2%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 1.17 (Higher than expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 149 cases, 26.5 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 6 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyAbout the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.2 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Nottingham City Hospital: Good (CQC report for Nottingham City Hospital)
Queen's Medical Centre: Requires improvement (CQC report for Queen's Medical Centre)
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Grantham and District Hospital, John Coupland Hospital, Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital, Skegness & District Hospital25 to 3928 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20242.0%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 1.05 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 100 cases, 30.0 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 4 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyAbout the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Grantham and District Hospital: Good (CQC report for Grantham and District Hospital)
Lincoln County Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Lincoln County Hospital)
Pilgrim Hospital: Good (CQC report for Pilgrim Hospital)
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Royal Derby Hospital50 or more54 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20241.1%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.95 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 144 cases, 27.9 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 4 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyAbout the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Requires improvement (CQC report for Royal Derby Hospital)
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Glenfield Hospital, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary25 to 3936 planned (elective) AAA repairs in 20240.0%National: 1.3%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.95 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 91 cases, 14.5 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 8 cases FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyAbout the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Glenfield Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Glenfield Hospital)
Leicester General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Leicester General Hospital)
Leicester Royal Infirmary: Requires improvement (CQC report for Leicester Royal Infirmary)

How to read this

  • Not a ranking. The table is in alphabetical order. A higher volume does not on its own mean better care, and we do not combine the columns into a score.
  • Volume bands. Cut points are the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of all 64 trusts and health boards in the NVR table in the published table, rounded. So about a quarter of trusts and health boards in the NVR table fall in each band. The exact number is shown under the band.
  • Risk adjustment. Where a figure says “adjusted”, the audit has allowed for differences in the patients each hospital treats, such as age and other illnesses. Hospitals that take on more complex cases can still look different for reasons the adjustment does not capture.
  • Bands and limits. We only say a result is higher or lower than expected when the source itself says so (for example NJR outlier status, NELA funnel limits, SSNAP levels, CQC survey bands). Where the source publishes a rate without limits we show the rate and the national figure, and say “No banding published”.
  • Small numbers. A small hospital can have 0% or a high percentage by chance. Figures the source suppresses are shown as “Not published (small numbers)”.
  • Trust or hospital. This audit publishes figures for each NHS trust, which may run several hospitals. The operation may only be done at one of them.
  • Different periods. Each figure has its own period, shown next to it. Audit results describe operations done one to three years ago; waiting times are updated monthly.
  • National figures. National figure: England row of the NVR appendix tables.
  • Talk to your GP or consultant about what the figures mean for you. If you are referred for planned care in England, you can usually choose your hospital.

Full definitions: methodology and data dictionary.

Data sources and licences

Data last updated 26 October 2026. We do not change the published figures; we only group volumes into bands. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Sources

We checked this guide against these official pages on 26 October 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us.