NHS 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
