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    NHS A-Z Glossary

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    • NHS A-Z Glossary
    • 2 Week and 31/62 Day Cancer Targets
    • 4 Hour Emergency Care Target
    • 12 Hour Trolley Wait
    • 18 Week Elective Care Target (Referral to Treatment: RTT)
    • 111
    • 999
    • 1948
    • AAU: Acute Assessment Unit
    • AC: Audit Commission
    • ACO/S: Accountable Care Organisation/System
    • ACP: Advanced Clinical Practitioner
    • Acute Care
    • Acute Hospital
    • Acute Medical Unit (AMU)
    • Admission
    • Admission Rate
    • Admitted Pathway
    • ADR: Adverse Drug Reaction
    • Advanced Care Plan
    • Advice and Guidance
    • Advocate
    • A&E: Accident and Emergency
    • AEC/AECU: Ambulatory Emergency Care/Unit
    • AfC: Agenda for Change
    • AHA: Area Health Authority
    • AHP: Allied Health Professional
    • AHSC/N: Academic Health Science Centre/Network
    • AKI: Acute Kidney Injury
    • ALB: Arms Lengths Body
    • Alongside Midwifery Unit
    • Ambulance Targets (NHS)
    • AMHP: Approved Mental Health Professional
    • Anonymised Data
    • ANP: Advanced Nurse Practitioner
    • AO: Accountable Officer
    • AoMRC: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
    • AOT: Assertive Outreach Team
    • Appraisal
    • AQP: Any Qualified Provider
    • ASW: Approved Social Worker
    • Attendance (hospital)
    • AWP: Any Willing Provider
    • BAME: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic
    • Banding
    • Bank Nurse
    • BAU: Business as Usual
    • BC: Business Continuity
    • BCF: Better Care Fund
    • Bench to the Bedside
    • Benchmarking
    • Bevan, Aneurin
    • Block Contract
    • BME: Black and Minority Ethnic
    • BNF: British National Formulary
    • Board
    • Broker
    • C diff
    • C4C: Case for Change
    • CAE: Clinical Adverse Event
    • CAG: Clinical Advisory Group
    • Caldicott Guardian
    • Call to Action
    • CAMHs: Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services
    • Capital
    • Capitated Payments
    • Care Act 2014
    • Care Bundle
    • Care Leavers
    • Care Package
    • Care Pathway
    • Carer
    • CC: Community Care
    • CCG: Clinical Commissioning Group
    • CD: Clinical Director
    • CD: Controlled Drug
    • CDU: Clinical Decision Unit
    • CEO: Chief Executive Officer
    • CFH: Connecting for Health
    • CFO: Chief Finance Officer
    • Chairperson
    • Chaplain
    • CHC: Continuing Healthcare: NHS Continuing Healthcare
    • Children's Act 1989
    • Choice
    • Choose and Book
    • CI: Commissioning Intentions
    • CIO: Chief Information Officer
    • CIP: Cost Improvement Plan
    • CKD: Chronic Kidney Disease
    • CL: Clinical Lead
    • CLDT: Community Learning Disability Team
    • Clinical Audit
    • Clinical Governance
    • Clinical Guideline
    • CM: Community Matron
    • CME: Continued Medical Education
    • CMHT: Community Mental Health Team
    • CMO: Chief Medical Officer
    • CMT: Core Medical Trainee
    • CNO: Chief Nursing Officer 
    • COG: Chief Officers Group
    • Commissioning
    • Community Nurse
    • Competition
    • Confidentiality
    • Consent
    • Consultant
    • Continuity of Care
    • Contracting Out
    • COO: Chief Operating Officer:
    • Coronavirus
    • Coroners Court
    • Court of Protection
    • COVID-19: C19
    • CPA: Care Programme Approach
    • CPD: Continuing Professional Development
    • CPN: Community Psychiatric Nurse
    • CPR: Child Protection Register
    • CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
    • CQC: Care Quality Commission
    • CQUIN: Commissioning for Quality and Innovation:
    • CRHT: Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment team
    • CSSU: Children’s Short Stay Unit
    • CST: Core Surgical Trainee
    • CVS: Community and Voluntary Sector
    • D2A: Discharge-to-Assess
    • DAAT: Drug & Alcohol Action Team
    • DASS: Director of Adult Social Services
    • Data Sharing Agreement
    • Datix
    • Day Case
    • DCS: Director of Children’s Services
    • Delayed Transfer of Care
    • Deliberate Self-Harm: DSH
    • Department (hospital)
    • Department of Health
    • Department of Health and Social Care
    • Departmental Manager
    • DoLS: Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
    • DESMOND
    • Devolution
    • DGH: District General Hospital
    • DH/DoH: Department of Health
    • DHSC
    • Directorate
    • DoS: Directory of Services
    • Disability Discrimination Acts (DDAs) 1995 and 2005
    • Discharge
    • Discharge Lounge
    • Discharge Summary
    • Discharge-to-Assess
    • District General Hospital
    • DHA: District Health Authority
    • District Nurse
    • Diversity
    • Division
    • DLA: Disability Living Allowance
    • DN: District Nurse
    • DNA: Did Not Attend
    • DNACPR: Do Not Attempt Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation
    • DNAR: Do Not Attempt Resuscitation
    • DoLS: Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard
    • DPA: Data Protection Act 2018
    • DPH: Director of Public Health
    • DPO: Data Protection Officer
    • DQ: Data Quality
    • Dr: Doctor
    • Dr Foster Intelligence
    • Drug and Therapeutics Committee
    • DSU: Day Surgery Unit
    • DTC: Diagnosis and Treatment Centre
    • DToC: Delayed Transfer of Care
    • DUP: Duration of Untreated Psychosis
    • Duty of Candour
    • e-DS:
    • e-portfolio
    • e-prescribing
    • e-referral
    • Early Adopter
    • EBH/P: Evidence-Based Healthcare/Practice
    • EBM: Evidence-Based Medicine
    • EBS: Emergency Bed Service
    • ECIST: Emergency Care Intensive Support Team
    • ED: Emergency Department
    • E&D: Equality and Diversity
    • EDD: Expected Date of Discharge
    • EDM: Electronic Document Management
    • Education Outcomes Framework
    • Efficiency
    • EHR: Electronic Health Record
    • EI: Early Intervention
    • EIP: Early Intervention to Psychosis
    • Elective Care
    • EOC: Elective Orthopaedic Centre
    • EoLC: End of Life Care
    • Epidemic
    • Episode of Care
    • EPP: Expert Patient Programme
    • EPR: Electronic Patient Record
    • EqIA: Equality Impact Assessment
    • Escalation of Care
    • ESD: Early Supported Discharge
    • ESR: Electronic Staff Record
    • Executive Team
    • Expert Patient
    • Family Planning
    • Family Therapy
    • FBC: Full Business Case
    • FCE: Finished Consultant Episode
    • FHS: Family Health Services
    • Firm
    • FOI: Freedom of Information
    • Follow-up
    • FPA: Family Planning Association
    • FPC: Family Planning Clinic
    • Frailty
    • Freedom to Speak Up
    • FRG: Finance Review Group
    • Friends and Family Test
    • FT: Foundation Trust
    • FTE: Full-time Equivalent
    • FY1/2: Foundation Year 1 and 2
    • Gap Analysis
    • GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation
    • General Practice
    • GMS: General Medical Services
    • Governance
    • GP Federation (or Association)
    • GP: General Practitioner
    • GP Safe Haven
    • GPOOH: GP Out-of-Hours
    • GPWSI – GP With Specialist Interest
    • Group Manager
    • GUM – Genito-Urinary Medicine
    • HCA: Healthcare Assistant
    • HCAI: Healthcare-associated infection
    • HDA: Health Development Agency
    • Health
    • Health and Social Care Committee
    • Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB)
    • Health Boards
    • Health Commission
    • Health Inequalities
    • Health Professional
    • Health Record
    • Health Systems Support (HSS) Framework
    • Healthwatch England
    • HEE: Health Education England
    • HEMS: Helicopter Emergency Medical Service
    • HES: Health Episode Statistics
    • HFEA: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
    • HMSR: Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio
    • House
    • HPA: Health Protection Agency
    • HR: Human Resources
    • HRA: Health Research Authority
    • HSC Act 2012: Health and Social Care Act 2012
    • HSE: Health Survey for England
    • IAPT: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
    • ICAS: Independent Complaints Advocacy Service
    • ICD-11: Eleventh revision of International Classification of Diseases
    • ICO: Information Commissioner’s Office
    • ICS: Integrated Care System
    • IFR: Individual Funding Request
    • IG: Information Governance
    • IMCA: Independent Mental Capacity Advocate
    • IMHA: Independent Mental Health Advocate
    • Independent Sector
    • Information Department
    • information on health-related matters PAS: Patient Administration System
    • Inpatient
    • Integrated Care
    • Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
    • Intermediate Care
    • IPS: Individual Placement and Support
    • ISVA: Independent Sexual Violence Advisors / Advocates
    • ITT: Invitation to Tender
    • JAG: Joint Advisory Group
    • JCVI: Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
    • JHWS: Joint Health and Well-being Strategy
    • JSNA: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment:
    • King’s Fund
    • KPI: Key Performance Indicator
    • LA: Service Level Agreement
    • LAS/LAT: Locum Appointment for Service/Training
    • LDP: Local Delivery Plan
    • Lean Thinking
    • LETB: Local Education and Training Board
    • LLoS: Long Length of Stay
    • Local Authority (LA; council)
    • Local Health Number
    • Locum
    • LoS: Length of Stay
    • LPA: Lasting Power of Attorney
    • LTA: Long-term Agreement
    • LTC: Long-term Condition
    • MADE Event: Multi Agency Discharge Event
    • MAU: Medical Admission Unit
    • Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005
    • MDT: Multi-Disciplinary Team
    • Medical (as in ‘Have a Medical’
    • Medical Decisions Unit (MDU)
    • Medical Director
    • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
    • Mental Health
    • Mental Health Acts (MHAs) 1959/1983/2007
    • Mental Health Nurse
    • Mental Health Targets (NHS)
    • MHIT: Mental Health In-Reach Team
    • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: MHCLG
    • Minor Injuries Unit (MIU)
    • MLU: Midwife-Led Birthing Unit
    • MMT: Medicines Management Team
    • MOC: Model of Care
    • Modern Matron
    • Monitor
    • MRSA: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
    • MUPS: Medically unexplained physical symptoms
    • NAO: National Audit Office
    • National Tariff
    • NCEPOD: National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death
    • NCVO: National Council for Voluntary Organisations
    • NED: Non-Executive Director
    • Never Event
    • NFR: Not for Resuscitation
    • NGO: National Guardians Office
    • NHS: National Health Service
    • NHS Commissioning Board Authority
    • NHS Complaints Advocacy
    • NHS Confederation
    • NHS Constitution (for England)
    • NHS Counter Fraud Authority
    • NHS Digital
    • NHS Employers
    • NHS England Lead Provider Framework
    • NHS England: NHSE
    • NHS England Region: ‘Region’
    • NHS Evidence
    • NHS Executive
    • NHS Five Year Forward View (5YFV) 2014
    • NHS Improvement: NHSI
    • NHS Improving Quality: NHSIQ
    • NHS in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
    • NHS Key Skills Framework: NHSKSF
    • NHS Leadership Academy
    • NHS Litigation Authority
    • NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) 2019
    • NHS Low Income Scheme
    • NHS Number
    • NHS Prescription Services
    • NHS Research Authority: NHSRA
    • NHS Resolution
    • NHS Standard Contract
    • NHS Supply Chain
    • NHSBSA: NHS Business Services Authority
    • NHSBT: NHS Blood and Transplant
    • NHSIC: NHS Information Centre
    • NHSX
    • NICE: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
    • NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
    • NIHR: National Institute for Health Research
    • Non-Elective Care
    • Non-PbR: Non-Payable by result
    • Notifiable Disease
    • NPSA: National Patient Safety Agency
    • NQB: National Quality Board
    • NSF: National Service Framework
    • Nuffield Trust
    • Nurses
    • Nursing Associate
    • Nursing Auxiliary: NA
    • Nursing Home
    • Observation Ward
    • Commissioning Support Units (CSU)
    • One Stop Clinic
    • ONS: Office for National Statistics
    • OOH: ‘Out-of-hours’
    • OOHC: Out-of-Hospital Care
    • OPD: Outpatient Department
    • Operational Team
    • Outpatient
    • PA: Programmed Activity
    • Package of Care: PoC
    • PACS: Picture Archiving and Communications System
    • PALS: Patient Advice and Liaison Service
    • Pandemic
    • PAS: Patient Administration System
    • Pathway
    • Patient Experience
    • PAU: Paediatric Assessment Unit
    • PbR: Payment by Results
    • PCN: Primary Care Network
    • PCP: Personal Care Plan
    • PCSE: Primary Care Support England
    • PCT/PCG: Primary Care Trust/Group
    • PFI: Private Finance Initiative
    • PHE: Public Health England
    • PHSO: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
    • Physician Associate: PA
    • PIP: Patient Information Point
    • PLACE: Patient-Led Assessments of Care Environment
    • Planned Care
    • Postcode Lottery
    • PPA: Prescription Prescribing Authority
    • PPC: Prescription Prepayment Certificate
    • PPE: Patient and Public Engagement
    • PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
    • PPG: Patient Participation Group
    • PPI: Patient and Public Involvement 
    • Pre-op: Pre-operative Assessment
    • Primary Care
    • Procurement
    • Professional Body
    • PROM: Patient Reported Outcome Measure
    • Provider
    • PSI: Patient Safety Incident
    • PSNC: Pharmacy Services Negotiating Committee
    • Public Health: PH
    • Purchaser
    • Purchaser-Provider Split
    • QA: Quality Assurance
    • QALY: Quality-Adjusted Life Year
    • QIPP: Quality, Innovation, Prevention and Productivity
    • QOF: Quality and Outcomes Framework
    • Quality
    • Quality-Adjusted Life Year
    • Quality and Outcomes Framework
    • Quality Improvement
    • Quality, Innovation, Prevention and Productivity
    • Quality Premium
    • RCA: Root Cause Analysis
    • R&D: Research and Development
    • Re-ablement
    • Readmission
    • Reconfiguration
    • Referral to Treatment
    • Regional Secure Unit
    • Registered Nurse
    • Registrar
    • Reorganisation
    • RES: Research Ethics Service
    • Research Ethics Service
    • Residential Home
    • ReSPECT Form
    • Revalidation
    • RHA: Regional Health Authority
    • RHB: Regional Hospital Board
    • Risk Management
    • RoM/FRoM: Range of Movement/Full Range of Movement
    • Root Cause Analysis
    • RSU: Regional Secure Unit
    • RTT: Referral to Treatment
    • Safe Havens (NHS Digital)
    • Safeguarding
    • SARS-Cov-2
    • SAU: Surgical Admission Unit
    • SCBU: Special Care Baby Unit
    • SDEC: Same Day Emergency Care
    • Secondary Care
    • Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
    • SEN: State Enrolled Nurse
    • SES: Single Equality Scheme
    • Seven Day Service (7DS)
    • SHMI: Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator
    • Short Stay Ward
    • SIGN: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
    • SITREP: Situation Report
    • SLA: Service Level Agreement
    • SMI: Severe Mental Illness
    • SMT: Senior Management Team
    • Social Admission
    • Social Care
    • Social Care Package
    • Social Determinants of Health
    • Social Distance
    • Social Prescribing
    • SODA: Surgery On Day (of) Admission
    • SPA: Single Point of Access
    • SPA: Supporting Professional Activity
    • Special Notes
    • Specialist Commissioning
    • Specialist Register (of GMC)
    • SRN: State Registered Nurse
    • SSRB: Senior Salaries Review Body
    • ST: Specialty Trainee
    • Stakeholders
    • STP: Sustainability and Transformation Plan/Partnership
    • Stranded/Super-stranded Patient
    • Sub-Region
    • Substantive
    • SUI: Serious Untoward Incident
    • Suicide/Parasuicide
    • Summary Care Record: SCR
    • Support Worker
    • SUS: Secondary Uses Service
    • Talking therapy / treatment
    • TDA: Trust Development Authority
    • Teaching Hospital
    • Telemedicine
    • Tertiary Care
    • Transfer
    • Triage
    • Trust
    • Trusted Assessor
    • UKHSA
    • UNA: Unable to Attend
    • Unable to Attend
    • Unconscious Bias (Medical)
    • United Kingdom Health Security Agency
    • Urgent Care
    • UCC: Urgent Care Centre
    • UTC: Urgent Treatment Centre
    • Values
    • Vanguard Sites
    • VCS: Voluntary and Community Sector
    • VCSE: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises
    • Virtual clinic
    • VTS: Vocational Training Scheme
    • Waiting List
    • Walk-in Centre
    • Ward
    • Ward Clerk
    • Ward Manager
    • Ward Round
    • Weekend Effect
    • Whistleblowing
    • WLI: Waiting List Initiative
    • Wrong Site Surgery
    • WTE: Whole time equivalent
    • Yellow Form (BNF)
    • YTD:
    • Zero Length of Stay

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