Disease registers in England

The importance of accurate recording and monitoring the occurrence of disease is well recognised and there is a long tradition of the establishment of disease registers in England with over 200 in existence. These registers provide high quality information to: inform patient care, improve public health, advance medical knowledge and support clinical practice.This article provides an overview of disease registers focussing on population-based registers of cerebral palsy, childhood cancer, congenital anomaly and diabetes. The success of these registers is dependent on a number of factors including an extensive local network of notifiers, the use of multiple source case ascertainment, adopting consistent recording and coding practices. The paediatrician can play an important role in supporting registers through the timely notification of cases and reviewing cases to ensure accurate diagnoses are recorded.