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