NHS Jargon Buster

Jargon Buster: A-Z

Access
The availability of NHS services - 'getting the care you need'. A key theme in the NHS Plan.
Acute services
Medical and surgical treatment provided mainly in hospitals.
Admissions
When a patient is admitted to hospital.
Ambulatory Care
Services where people do not stay in hospital overnight eg outpatients, X-ray, day surgery and medical diagnostics.
Assessment
Considering the circumstances of an individual, family, group or community when looking at a future plan of action.
Beacon services
A scheme set up to identify and spread knowledge of examples of best practice in the NHS.
Beds
The number of beds in a ward or department which refers to staffed beds used overnight.
Benchmarking
A method used by public sector organisations, charities and private companies for gauging their performance by comparing it to that of other organisations, typically of a similar size. Many organisations are now members of so called 'benchmarking clubs' in which they compare published and unpublished performance information.
Booked admissions
The NHS national booked admissions scheme is a style of booking system which enables patients to arrange convenient out-patient and in-patient admission dates, leading to fewer cancelled operations, less bureaucracy and more efficient use of NHS time and resources.
Caldicott Standards
These are a set of standards that regulate the use of patient information throughout the NHS.
Care Approach Programme – CPA
Co-ordinated care for people who use specialist mental health services.
Care pathway
An approach to managing a specific disease or clinical condition that identifies early on what treatments and care are required, along with the possible outcome.
CTG – Cardiotocography
An electronic system that monitors foetal heart rate during labour.
Carer
The definition used by social services is: a person who provides a substantial amount of care on a regular basis, and who is not employed to do so by an agency or organisation. A carer is usually a friend or relative looking after someone who is frail or ill at home.
Clinical governance
A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care. Clinical governance is monitored by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI).
Clinical team
A clinical team may comprise of doctors, nurses and other health staff who provide services of a particular type, eg audiology.
Clinician
A health professional who is directly involved in the care and treatment of patients, for example, nurses, doctors, therapists.
CHI - Commission for Health Improvement
An independent Government body that carries out reviews of NHS organisations and publishes reports about the quality of health services throughout England and Wales.
CT SCANNER – Computed Tomography Scanner
A scanner that produces detailed cross-section images of the body that cannot be provided using conventional X-Rays.
Commissioning
The process by which the needs of the local population are identified, priorities set and appropriate services purchased and evaluated. Primary care trusts do not provide all the healthcare services needed for their population. They 'buy in' or commission services from other 'providers', such as local hospitals, mental health trusts and voluntary organisations.
Community Care
Care, particularly for older people, people with learning disabilities or a mental illness, which is provided outside a hospital setting.
Community Health Council (CHC)
An independent statutory body that represents local people who use health services and can give advice to the public. Will be replaced by Patient Forums at the end of 2003.
Community Mental Health Team
A team of health and social services professionals working together to provide services to those with a mental illness.
Co-morbidity
Term used to signify multiple illnesses.
Controls assurance
A process designed to enable NHS organisations to protect patients, staff, public and others against all kinds of risk.
Coronary Care Unit – CCU
Dedicated unit for specialist coronary care.
Corporate governance
A framework through which organisations are accountable for standards in conducting corporate business, including meeting statutory financial duties.
Day Case Admission
Day case patients are admitted for care or treatment which can be completed in a few hours and does not required a hospital bed overnight.
Delayed Discharge Rate
The proportion of patients occupying a hospital bed and are ready for discharge.
Demographic Trends
Changes in age, sex and size of the population over time.
Department of Health
The Government body responsible for delivering a fast, fair, convenient and high quality health and social care service in England.
Elective Admission
A patient who is admitted from the waiting list.
Electronic Booking
A new system under development that will allow patients to make appointments directly and be able to obtain information on waiting times.
Emergency Admission
A patient admitted to hospital at short notice because of clinical need or because alternative care is not available.
Essence of Care
This is an initiative aimed at improving patient experience by identifying best practice in areas such as nutrition and privacy and dignity.
Executive directors
Senior management employees who sit on the Trust Board. They are accountable for delivering the NHS Plan locally.
Family Health Services – FHS
Services provided in the community through GPs, dentists, pharmacist and opticians.
Finished Consultant Episode
The time spent under the care of a particular consultant.
Franchising
NHS franchising involves identifying the top NHS managers and appointing them to the 'biggest challenges', whether failing trusts, key modernisation initiatives, or strategic health authorities.
General Medical Services – GMS
Personal medical services provided by general medical practitioners, for example; giving appropriate health advice; offering consultations and physical examinations; offering appropriate examinations and immunisations.
General Practitioners – GPs
These are doctors who provide family health services to a local community. They are usually based in a surgery or GP practice and are often the first port of call for most patients with a concern about their health.
Health Authority – HA
The Health Authority is responsible, within the resources available, for identifying the health care needs of its resident population, and securing hospital and community health services to reflect those needs.
Health Development Agency
The HDA is a special health authority that aims to improve the health of people in England – in particular, to reduce inequalities in health between those who are well off and those on low incomes or reliant on state benefits.
Health Improvement and Modernisation Programme (HIMP)
A local plan to improve health and healthcare drawn up by primary care professionals working in conjunction with other agencies, such as local authorities and the voluntary sector.
Health inequality
The gap in health status, and in access to health services, between different social classes and ethnic groups and between populations in different geographical areas.
Hospital at Home
Hospital at Home provides care in the patient’s home which otherwise would have been provided in hospital.
Integrated Care Pathway
Improving the patient’s route for treatment through different health and social care systems by combining resources and co-ordinating working methods to prevent hold-ups and jams.
Integrated Care Records Service - ICRS
This is part of the NHS’ national strategic programme for IT and comprises of the Electronic Health Record (lifelong patient health records) and the Electronic Patient Record (updating records at source).
In-patient
A patient who has been admitted to hospital for treatment and is occupying a hospital bed.
Intensive Care (Treatment) Unit – ITU
Dedicated unit for intensive care of patients. Also known as High Dependency Unit.
Intermediate care
Nursing home, rehabilitation or home care services provided to ease the transition of the patient from hospital to home and from medical dependence to functional independence.
ISO 17799
This is a regulation that requires all NHS organisations to report all information security incidents and to review their business to take this into account.
Improving Working Lives – IWL
The Government has set this standard for all NHS employers to achieve by changing practices in the workplace and thereby improve the working life of existing staff and those intending to join.
Joined-up working
When organisations such as councils, the NHS and schools work together to identify and solve local problems, close gaps between public services and improve overall performance.
Joint funding
Where two or more agencies, for example, health and social services, agree to share the cost of running a project or service.
Joint Investment Plan - JIP
A plan for purchasing care services jointly, produced by the NHS and local authorities as well as other key agencies and representatives of service-users and carers.
Length of Stay
The time from admission to discharge, based on the number of nights in hospital.
Local Medical Committee – LMC
Statutory representative body for all GPS in a particular area. NHS authorities must consult the LMC on issues ranging from GP terms of service to investigations into professional conduct.
Looked after children (children looked after)
This term refers to children who are either in care (subject to a care order) or accommodated by a local authority.
Mammography
A special X-Ray examination of breast tissue used in the early detection of breast cancer.
Medical Advice
Improvements which allow the medical profession to treat an increasing range of conditions or treat existing conditions in a better way.
Multi Disciplinary Team - MDT
This is a team of professionals drawn from various disciplines within the Trust that combine their expertise to the benefit of patients.
Modernisation
This is about improving and updating the NHS for patients and improving the working lives of its staff - as set out in the NHS Plan.
Modernisation Agency (NHS)
National body created in the NHS Plan to help local clinicians and managers redesign services to make them more patient-friendly, quicker and efficient, and to secure continuous service improvements across the NHS. It also has responsibility for the NHS leadership centre, and the NHS beacon services programme.
MRI Scanner – Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner
A scanner that produces images of parts of the body by the use of strong magnetic field and electromagnetic waves.
NHS Direct Online
NHS Direct online is the gateway to health advice and information on the internet. It includes an easy-to–use guide to treating common symptoms at home and links to thousands of sources of help and advice. www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
NHSIA – NHS Information Agency
A special Health Authority set up to improve patient care and achieve best value for money in working with the NHS to supporting the most efficient and effective use of information.
NHSNET – NHS Network
A secure wider area network that will connect all NHS organisations.
NHS Number
This is a unique number that will be given to every baby at birth and will be used as a NHS identifier for life.
NHS Trusts
NHS organisations that provide health care.
NICE - National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Body set up in April 1999 to decide which health treatments and technologies - from drugs to artificial hips - should be available on the NHS.
NHS Plan
A 10-year plan for investment and reform in the NHS with sustained increases in funding. The purpose of the NHS Plan is to give the people of Britain a health service fit for the 21st century designed around the patient. (Published July 2000)
National Service Framework - NSF
There are a range of NSFs, which establish a set of minimum national standards of clinical quality and access to services in a series of major care areas and disease groups, including mental health, diabetes, older people & coronary heart disease. The aim is to drive up performance and decrease geographical variations.
New Opportunities Fund
The body responsible for distributing National Lottery money to health, education and environment projects in the UK.
NHS Direct
This is a telephone helpline and website that gives access to a 24-hour nurse advice and health information service, providing confidential information on: what to do if you or your family are feeling ill; particular health conditions; local healthcare services such as doctors, dentists or late-night opening pharmacies, and self-help and support organisations.
Non-executive directors
Lay people appointed by the Appointments Commission who sit on the board of NHS trusts and Primary Care Trusts with the executive directors, overseeing the work of the organisation. There are six non-executive director posts on each board, including the Chairman.
Nursing home
A residential home that has qualified nursing staff available to provide nursing care.
Older Age Groups
People aged 65 years and above.
Ordinary Admission
An admission, including one that is an emergency, where the patient is expected to remain in hospital for at least one night.
Out-patient
A patient who attends hospital for treatment, consultation and advice but does not require a stay in hospital.
Oxford Deanery
The Oxford Deanery is a department of the University of Oxford that works only within the NHS to provide training to dentists and doctors in the Oxford Deanery area of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Palliative care
The care of patients whose disease is no longer curable, eg cancer, HIV/Aids, and motor-neurone disease. It takes into account the physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care of patients, with the aim of providing the best quality of life for them.
PALS - Patient Advice and Liaison Service
This service is available in every NHS Trust and Primary Care Trust and provides advice and support to patients, friends and carers, as well as resolving problems and giving information about the NHS.
Patients' Forum
An independent Patients' Forum which will, subject to Parliamentary approval, monitor the work of each NHS Trust and Primary Care Trust; inspect all premises that NHS patients use; appoint a non-executive director to the boards of NHS trusts and Primary Care Trusts; and report on the quality of patient services of each Trust.
Patient Transport Service - PTS
The PTS transports patients with non-urgent conditions to and from hospitals and day care centres, and carries out non-urgent inter-hospital transfers.
Personal Social Services
Personal care services for vulnerable people, including those with special needs because of old age or physical disability and children in need of care and protection, which are provided through home care and home help services, social workers and residential care homes.
Primary care
Primary care is usually the first place people contact for health advice and treatment. The service is provided near to or in a person's home by GPs, nurses or therapists.
Primary Care Trust – PCT
A NHS body that has responsibility for the planning and securing of health services in a local area. It must ensure the availability and accessibility of GPs, dentist and other health providers, as well as hospital treatment, to all in the community it covers.
Primary Health Care Team
Professional staff working in or attached to general practices to provide a range of health care needs. Includes GPs and community nursing staff.
Quality Protects
This government programme aims to transform children's services by 2004. Local authorities must show they are meeting 11 key objectives that cover children in need, looked after children and children in need of protection. Councils must work in partnership with the NHS and the voluntary sector.
Referral patterns
These describe the number and frequency of patients referred to hospitals by GPs.
Risk-management
A systematic approach to reducing loss of life, financial loss, loss of staff availability, safety, or loss or reputation.
Royal colleges
Statutory organisations that set and monitor professional standards for medical services.
Scrutiny committee
An all-party group of elected local councillors that reviews local NHS services and other issues. Introduced by the Local Government Act 2000.
Secondary care
Specialist care, typically provided in a hospital setting or following referral from a primary or community health professional.
Service and Financial Framework – SaFF
Health authorities must submit service and financial frameworks to the NHS executive, committing them to meeting ministerial targets within available resources. There would be a series of agreements about activity levels and funding between commissioning bodies (which include primary care trusts) and hospital trusts.
Service level agreements
Agreement between organisations and/or agencies setting out how services must be provided, what their standards will be and how monitoring will take place.
Service-user
An individual who uses, requests, applies for, or benefits from health or local authority services. They may also be referred to as a client, patient or consumer.
Spell
Period from when a patient is admitted to when he or she leaves a particular hospital.
Stakeholders
People who have an interest in an organisation, its activities and its achievements, including customers, partners, employees, shareholders, owners, government and regulators. Modern consultation is usually 'stakeholder-focused'.
Statutory Organisations
Organisations with powers to fund or provide services, such as local authorities and NHS Trusts.
Strategic Health Authority (sometimes StHA)
In April 2001 28 new authorities were created from the 95 existing health authorities to provide strategic management support for primary care trusts and hospitals in improving NHS performance. The merger of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Health Authorities created the Thames Valley Health Authority, which then became a Strategic HA in October 2002.
Sub-acute Care
An alternative term for intermediate care.
Tertiary Care
Care of a highly specialist nature typically provided in regional centres.
Therapy services
These are provided by 'allied health professionals' who include dieticians, hearing therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists (chiropodists) and speech & language therapists.
Unitary authority (council)
A new type of local authority that delivers the full range of local government services itself. In the traditional set-up, still widely used, the functions are split between county councils (including social services and education) and district/borough/city councils (including housing and planning).
Walk-in centres
Nurse-led drop-in centres managed by the NHS that provide minor treatments, self-help advice and information on the NHS, social services and other local healthcare organisations.
Whole Systems Approach
Term for a strategic, integrated approach to planning and delivering services. A local whole system of care covers all local health and social service provision and any other service that impacts upon health and social care.

Acronyms and Initials

AAA
Annual Accountability Agreement
AHP
Allied Health Professionals
BAP
Booked Admissions Project
BART
Bracknell Assessment and Reablement Team
BCVS
Bracknell Council for Voluntary Service
BFBC
Bracknell Forest Borough Council
BMA
British Medical Association
BUILD
Bracknell United in Learning and Development
CHC
Community Health Council
CHI
Commission for Health Improvement
CGST
Clinical Governance Support Team
CMHT
Community Mental Health Team
CNST
Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts
CoLS
Cost of Living Supplement
CPD
Continuing Professional Development
CTG
Cardiotocography
CT
Scanner Compound Tomography Scanner
DAT
Drug Action Team
DoH
Department of Health
DRG
Drug Reference Group
ECR
Extra Contractual Referral
EFL
External Financing Limit
ENB
English National Board
GMC
General Medical Council
GP
General Practitioner
HA
Health Authority
HAZ
Health Action Zone
HDA
Health Development Agency
HIA
Health Inequalities Adjustment
HIMP
Health Improvement & Modernisation Plan
ICRS
Integrated Care Records Service
IPR
Individual Performance Review
IWL
Improving Working Lives
LIG
Local Implementation Group
LIT
Local Implementation Team
LMR
Local Modernisation Review
LSP
Local Strategic Partnership
MA
Modernisation Agency
MAAG
Medical Audit Advisory Group
MDA
Medical Devices Agency (replaced by MHRA from 01/04/2003)
MDT
Multi-disciplinary Team
MRI
Scanner Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner
NHS
National Health Service
NHSIA
NHS Information Agency
NHSNET
NHS network
NHSS
National Healthy Schools Standard
NICE
National Institute of Clinical Excellence
NOF
New Opportunities Fund
NPAT
National Patient Access Team
NSF
National Service Framework
OATs
Out of Area Treatments
OT
Occupational Therapy
PAF
Performance Assessment Framework
PALS
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PAMs
Professions Allied to Medicine
PCIP
Primary Care Investment Plan
PCG/T
Primary Care Group/Trust
PDP
Personal Development Plan
PFI
Private Finance Initiative
PHCT
Primary Health Care Team
PMS
Personal Medical Services (pilots)
PPA
Prescription Pricing Authority
RPST
Risk Pooling Scheme for Trusts
SaFF
Service and Financial Framework
SLA
Service Level Agreement
SALT (S&LT)
Speech and Language Therapy
TVHA
Thames Valley Health Authority

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