Major leg amputation in London: hospitals compared

An amputation is the surgical removal of part of the body, such as a leg. It may be needed for a severe infection, gangrene (often caused by peripheral arterial disease), complications of diabetes or serious injury. Unless it is an emergency, you will be assessed before surgery to plan the type of amputation and your rehabilitation.

The National Vascular Registry records major leg amputations (above or below the knee) done by vascular surgeons. It publishes the number at each trust and deaths in hospital within 30 days, adjusted for differences between patients.

London hospitals

8 London trusts with published figures. Sorted by name. This is not a ranking: read how to read this first.

Major leg amputation: London trusts, Major leg amputations in 2024 (NVR)
TrustVolume bandMajor leg amputations in 2024 (NVR)Key outcomeDeaths in hospital within 30 days (adjusted)Waiting timeWhole trustPatient experienceCQC rating
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: King George Hospital, Queen’s HospitalFewer than 3021 major leg amputations in 202413.6%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.56 (Lower than expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 52 cases, 15.5 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 specialtyWorse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.6 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)King George Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for King George Hospital)
Queen's Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Queen's Hospital)
Barts Health NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Newham University Hospital, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Royal London Hospital, Whipps Cross University Hospital50 to 9966 major leg amputations in 202410.1%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 1.06 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 86 cases, 12.1 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 24 cases, 3.4 per 100,000 bed-days 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)Newham University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Newham University Hospital)
St Bartholomew's Hospital: Good (CQC report for St Bartholomew's Hospital)
The Royal London Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for The Royal London Hospital)
Whipps Cross University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Whipps Cross University Hospital)
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Guy’s Hospital, Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital50 to 9977 major leg amputations in 20248.1%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.93 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 60 cases, 15.3 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 13 cases, 3.3 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
Not published for this specialtyBetter than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 8.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Guy's Hospital: Good (CQC report for Guy's Hospital)
Harefield Hospital: Good (CQC report for Harefield Hospital)
Royal Brompton Hospital: Good (CQC report for Royal Brompton Hospital)
St Thomas' Hospital: Good (CQC report for St Thomas' Hospital)
Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital, Western Eye Hospital50 to 9952 major leg amputations in 20249.0%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.73 (Lower than expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 83 cases, 21.9 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 5 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)Charing Cross Hospital: Good (CQC report for Charing Cross Hospital)
Hammersmith Hospitals: Requires improvement (CQC report for Hammersmith Hospitals)
Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital: Outstanding (CQC report for Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital)
St Mary's Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for St Mary's Hospital)
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: King’s College Hospital, Princess Royal University HospitalCase ascertainment published as 50%-59%: not every operation was entered in the registry.Fewer than 307 major leg amputations in 20246.5%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.98 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 85 cases, 18.1 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 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)King's College Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for King's College Hospital)
Princess Royal University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Princess Royal University Hospital)
London North West University Healthcare NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Central Middlesex Hospital, Ealing Hospital, Northwick Park Hospital, St Mark’s HospitalFewer than 3027 major leg amputations in 20247.0%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.81 (Lower than expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 41 cases, 11.0 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 specialtyWorse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.6 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust)Central Middlesex Hospital: Good (CQC report for Central Middlesex Hospital)
Ealing Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Ealing Hospital)
Northwick Park Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Northwick Park Hospital)
Royal Free London NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Barnet General Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, The Royal Free Hospital50 to 9954 major leg amputations in 202415.9%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.86 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 126 cases, 24.1 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 7 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)Barnet General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Barnet General Hospital)
Chase Farm Hospital: Good (CQC report for Chase Farm Hospital)
North Middlesex University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for North Middlesex University Hospital)
The Royal Free Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for The Royal Free Hospital)
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: St George’s Hospital, TootingCase ascertainment published as 50%-59%: not every operation was entered in the registry.30 to 4941 major leg amputations in 20245.2%National: 5.7%No banding published
More measures
  • Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), whole trust: 0.96 (As expected) 2025-06 to 2026-05
  • C. difficile infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 41 cases, 13.4 per 100,000 bed-days FY2025-26
  • MRSA bloodstream infections that started in hospital (whole trust, not adjusted for case mix): 1 case 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 St George's Hospital, Tooting)

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 62 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 22 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 22 October 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us.