This document discusses using registry data to improve surgical outcomes. It notes that while 310 million surgeries are performed worldwide each year, the true mortality rate is unknown. Failure to rescue, where a patient dies after a treatable complication, is presented as a measure of surgical quality that can identify variations not found in other metrics. The document outlines a stepped wedge randomized cluster trial testing an enhanced peri-operative care pathway for high-risk patients across 93 UK hospitals and 20,000 patients, with results expected in autumn 2017. National registry data through the HQIP-NELA program is being used to capture outcomes data for the study.