24/7

24 hours a day seven days a week

AAU

Acute Assessment Unit

ADR

Adverse Drug React

A&E

Accident & Emergency

AF

Atrial Fibrillation

AfC

Agenda for Change – the new pay system implanted in 2004 for NHS staff

AHP

Allied Health Professionals

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

AIME

Accessible Information Made Easy

ALE

Auditors Local Evaluation

ALOS

Average Length of Stay

ANTT

Aseptic No Touch Technique

APMS

Alternative Provider of Medical Services

ART

Assessment & Response Team

ASCC

Additional Supply Capability and Capacity

ASR

Acute Service Review (now called Looking to the Future)

AUP

Acceptable Usage Policy

AvMA

Action against Medical Accidents

BAPM

British Association of Perinatal Medicine

BARDOC

Bury & Rochdale Doctors on Call

BAU

Business as Usual

BCS

British Computer Society

BGOP

Better Government for Older People

BLF

British Lung Foundation

BMA

British Medical Association

BMJ

British Medical Journal

CAB/C&B

CAB

Citizens Advice Bureau

CAF

Common Assessment Framework

CAMHS

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services

CAP

Common Assurance Process

CART

Community Assessment Rehabilitation Team

CATS

Clinical Assessment & Treatment Support Services

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

C&C

Capability and Capacity

CCAD

Central Cardiac Database

CCBT

Computerised Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CCMD

Centre for Clinical Management Development

CCU

Critical Care Unit

Cdiff

Clostridium Difficile – the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, an instetinal infection that mostly affects elderly patients with other underlying diseases. Generally it is only able to do this when the normal, healthy intestinal bacteria have been killed off by antibiotics used to treat other infections.

CDS

Commissioning Data Set

CDT

Combined Decongestive Therapy

CDU

Clinical Decision Unit

CE

Chief Exec

CEA

Clinical Excellence Awards – given to recognize and reward the exceptional contribution of NHS consultants over and above that normally expected in a job, to the values and goals of the NHS and to patient care.

CEO

Chief Executive Officer

CEPOD

Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Death lists – are theatre lists specifically

dedicated for the provision of emergency surgery

CFH

Connecting for Health

CHD

Coronary Heart Disease

CHMU

Central Health Monitoring Unit

CHRIS

Central Health Register Inquiry System

CIC

Community Interest Company

CID

Community Index Database

CIKO

Chief Information and Knowledge Office

CIO

Chief Information Officer

CIS

Care Information Systems, or Central Issue System

CIT

Clinical Information Technology

CMASG

Clinical Messaging Architect Steering Group

CMHT

Community Mental Health Team

CNMs

Certified nurse midwives

CNS

Clinical Nurse Specialist or Community Nursing

CNST

Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts – Now changed to National Health Service Litigation Authority risk management standards. This is the NHS clinical “insurance” scheme

COI

Central Office of Information

Commissioning

The process by which the health needs of the population are defined, priorities determined and appropriate health services purchased, evaluated and put in place.

COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

CPA

Care Programme Approach

CPD

Continuing Professional Development

CPN

Community Psychiatric Nurse

CPT

Clinical Planning Team

CRES

Cost Releasing Efficiency Saving

CRDB

Care Record Development Board

CRG

Clinical Reference Group

CSA

Clinical Spine Application

CSAG

Clinical Standards Advisory Group

CSCI

Commission for Social Care Inspection

CSIP

Care Services Improvement Partnership

CSN

Cardiac Specialist Nurse

CSSRS

Councils with Social Services Responsibilities

CT

Computerised Tomography

CVS

Council for Voluntary Service

DAC

Dental Access Centre

DAFNE

Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (Diabetes)

DASS

Director of Adult Social Services

DATIX

National software programme for risk management

DESMOND

Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed

DfES

Department for Education & Skills

DFG

Disabled Facilities Grants

DGH

District General Hospital

DHQ

District Head Quarters (of the Health Authority)

DoF

Director of Finance

DoH

Department of Health

DoN

Director of Nursing

DofOps

Director of Operations

DPH

Director of Public Health

Dr Foster

Independent Provider of information for the NHS

DSNs

Diabetic Specialist Nurses

DSS

Department of Social Security

DVT

Deep Vein Thrombosis

DWP

Department for Work & Pensions

EBME

Electrical, Biomedical Equipment

ECR

Effects

EIC

Enhanced Immediate Care

EL

Executive Letter (NHS Executive)

EMIS

Egton Medical Information Systems

ENT

Ear, Nose and Throat (also known as Otorhinolaryngology)

EPHR

(also EPR) Electronic Patient Health Record

EPP

Expert Patients Programme

ERG

External Reference Group

ESL

Essential Services Laboratory

ESR

Electronic Staff Record

EWTD

European Working Time Directive – Lays down the minimum requirements in relation to working hours/rest periods/annual leave for all workers and working arrangements for night workers. The current limit is an average of 48 hours per week. There was an original exemption for medical staff but this has been amended to a 56 hour week by August 2007 and a 48 hour week by August 2009.

FACS

Fair Access to Care Services

FCE

Finished Consultant Episode – a measurement which assigns a patient’s episode to a care consultant.

FFCE

First Finished Consultant Episode identifies the first consultant episode of care during a patient’s hospital stay

FIMS

Finance & Information System

FM

Facilities Management – the hospitals’ estates management and hotel services

FoI

Freedom of Information (Act)

FOP

Future Outpatient Appointment

FP(10) / FP(HP10)

A Prescription Form

FT

NHS Foundation Trust

GI

Gastrointestinal

GMADE

Greater Manchester Association of District Engineers

GMAS

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service now NWAS – North West Ambulance Service

GMC

General Medical Council

GMS

General Medical Services

GO

Government Office

GP

General Practitioner

GPN

General Practice Nursing

GPwSIs

GP with Special Interests

GSCC

General Social Care Council

GUM

Genito-urinary Medicine

H@N

Hospital at Night – the provision of multi-disciplinary teams working in hospital Out of Hours who between them have the full range of skills and competencies to meet patient’s immediate needs

HA

Health Authority

HAG

Health Advisory Group

HAZ

Health Action Zone

HCA

Health Care Assistant

HC

Health Circular (Department of Health)

HCA

Health Care Assistant

HC@H

Hospital Care At Home

HCHS

Hospital & Community Health Services

HDA

Health Development Agency

HDU

High Dependency Unit

HEA

Health Education Authority

HES

Hospital Episode Statistics

HF

Healthy Futures

HFA

Health For All

HIAG

Health Impact Reference Group

HICC

Health Improvement and Commissioning Committee

HIMP

Health Improvement Programmes

HIP

Health Improvement Programmes

HIV

Human Immuno-deficiency Virus

HN

Health Notice (Department of Health)

HR

Human Resources

HRG

Healthcare Resource Group – groupings of treatment episodes, which are similar in resource use in clinical response

HSC

Health Service Circular (Department of Health)

HSDU

Hospital Sterile & Disinfection Unit

HSE

Health & Safety Executive

HSG

Health Service Guidelines (Department of Health)

HSW

Health & Safety at Work

HSWA

Health & Safety at Work Act

HTCS

Hospital Travel Cost Scheme

IBs

Individual Budgets

IBP

Integrated Business Plan

ICAS

Independent Complains Advocacy Service

ICATS

Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service

ICU

Intensive Care Unit

ILA

Individual Learning Account

IM&T

Information Management & Technology

IPPR

Institute for Public Policy Research

IPR

Independent Performance Review

IRP

Independent Review Panel

ISCATS

Independent Sector Clinical Treatment and Support Services

ISIP

Integrated Service Improvement Programme

ISTC

Independent Sector Treatment Centre

IT

Information Technology

ITU

Intensive Therapy Unit (similar to intensive are unit)

IV

Intravenous

IWL

Improving Working Lives – a model of good HR practice against which NHS Employers and their staff can measure the origination’s HR management against which NHS employers are kite marked

Joint Community Council

JCPT

Joint Care Planning Team

JiT

Just in Time

JNCC

Joint Negotiating Consultative Committee – the main management staff forum

JOSC

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee

JPAQ

Joint Planning Advisory Committees

JSNA

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

KI

Key Indicator (Social Services)

KISS

Keep it Simple Stupid

KSF

Knowledge & Skills Framework

LA

Local Authority

LAA

Local Area Agreement

LBC

Liquid Based Cytology – a new way of preparing cervical samples for examination in the laboratory

LCG

Local Care Group

LCPG

Local Capacity Planning Group

LCS

Lifestyle Co-ordinators

LDP

Local Development Plan – The Trust’s annual agreement with its commissioners on activity levels and funding

LDS

Learning Disability Services

LD SAG

Local Diabetic Services Advisory Group

LHG

Local Health Group

LIFT

Local Investment Finance Trust

LINKs

Local Involvement Networks

LIT

Local Implementation Team

LMA

Local Mind Association

LMC

Local Medical Committee

LNC

Local Negotiating Committee

LOS

Length of Stay

LPC

Local Pharmacist Committee

LSP

Local Strategic Partnership

LTC

Long Term Condition

LTFM

Long Term Financial Model

LTI

Learning Time Initiative

LTTF

Looking to the Future

MAAG

Medical Audit Advisory Group

or Multidisciplinary Audit Advisory Group

MAU

Medical Assessment Unit

MDT

Multi-disciplinary Team

MEU

Medical Emergency Unit

MHE

Mental Health Enquiry

MIB

Making it Better

MMC

Modernizing Medical Careers- a major reform of postgraduate medical education aimed at delivering a modernized and focused career structure for doctors

Monitor

Independent Corporate Body established under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act

MORI

Market and Opinion Research International

MP

Member of Parliament

MPIG

Minimum Practice Income Guarantee

MPS

Medical Protection Society

MRC

Medical Research Council

MRI

Manchester Royal Infirmary

MRI (scan)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRO

Medical Records Office

MRSA

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

MSAC

Maternity Services Advisory Committee

MSC

Medical Staffing Committee

MSK

Musculoskeletal

MSLC

Maternity Service Liaison Committee

MSP

Managing Successful Programmes

NACGP

National Association of Commissioning General Practitioners

NAPC

National Association of Primary Care

NAPOs

Neighbourhood Action Prevention Officers

NAVCA

National Association for Voluntary and Community Action

NBA

National Blood Authority (for England)

NEDs

Non-Executive Directors

NHS

National Health Service

NHSE

National Health Service Executive

NHSLA

National Health Service Litigation Authority

NHSnet

National Health Service Network

NHSweb

National Health Service Web – the NHS Intranet

NICE

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

NICU

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

NMGH

North Manchester General Hospital

NMS

National Minimum Standards

NNT

Number needed to treat

NPA

National Pharmaceutical Association

NPAG

National Performance Advisory Group

NPC

National Prescribing Centre

NPSA

National Patient Safety Agency

NRLS

National Reporting and Learning System

NSF

National Service Frameworks

NVQ

National Vocational Qualification

NWAS

North West Ambulance Service

OATS

Out of Area Treatments

OECD

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

OCG

Office of Government Commerce

OHAG

Oral Health Advisory Group

OMF

Oral Maxillio Facial

ONS

Office of National Statistics

OoH

Out of Hours

OP

Out Patient

OPA

Outpatients Attendances (Appointments)

OPAG

Older Peoples’ Advisory Group

OPCS

Office of Population Censuses & Surveys

OPD

Outpatients’ Department

OPM

Office for Public Management

OSC

Overview & Scrutiny Committee

PACS

Picture Archiving and Communications System – the digital storage of X-rays

PAD

Patient Advice Database

PAGB

Propriety Association of Great Britain

PAHT

Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

PALS

Patients Advocacy Liaison Service

PAMS

Professional Allied to Medicine

PARR

Patients at Risk of Readmission

PAT

Pennine Acute Trust

PBC

Practice Based Commissioning – an initiative which enables clinicians and other front line staff to redesign services that better meet the needs of their patients

PbR

Payment by Results

PCGs

Primary Care Groups

PCP

Personalized Care Plan

PCTs

Primary Care Trusts

PDF

Portable Document Format (a type of file produced by Adobe Acrobat)

PDP

Personal Development Plan

PDPs

Practice Development Plans

PDU

Professional Development Unit

PEAT

Patient Environment Action Team

PEC

Professional Executive Council

PEM

Prescription Event Monitoring

PF

Performance Framework

PFC

Patient Focused Care

PFI

Private Finance Initiative

PGDs

Patient Group Directive

PHC

Primary Health Care

PID

Project Initiation Document

PMI

Private Medical Insurance

PMS

Primary Medical Services contract

POM

Prescription Only Medicine

POPPs

Partnerships for Older People Projects

POPUMET

Protection of Persons Undergoing Medical Examination (regulations)

PPCI

Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Primary emergency angioplasty)

PPI

Patient and Public Involvement

PPIF

Patient and Public Involvement Forum

Primary Care

a term used for the activity of a health care provider who acts as a first point of Consultation for all patients

PRHO

Pre-Registration House Officer

PROMS

Patient Recorded Outcome Measures

PSA

Public Service Agreement

PTS

Patient Transport Service

PwSI

Practitioner with Special Interests

QA

Quality Assurance

QALYs

Quality Adjusted Life Years

QBS

Quality Bus Corridors

QOF

Quality & Outcomes Framework

QMO8

Quarterly monitoring of patients waiting for referral to first outpatient appointment

Qualitative

Qualitative research is a largely exploratory process based on the assumption that attitudes and beliefs cannot be accurately measured and need to be interpreted. It relies on methods such as semi-structured and in-depth interviews, focus groups, and makes use of “open-ended” questioning

Quantitative

Quantitative research involves measurement and the structured collection of data, which can then be manipulated statistically. Quantitative research is based on respondents choosing from a fixed set of options – most typically, patients ticking yes/no boxes in a fully structured questionnaire

RAS

Resource Allocation Systems

RADG

Research & Development Group

RCA

Root cause analysis

RCI

Reference Cost Index – Reference costs are the average cost to the NHS of providing a defined service within a given financial year. Reference costs are used from benchmarking and the basis of PbR (Payment by Results)

RCN

Royal College of Nursing

RCP

Royal College of Physicians

RCPCH

Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health

RDU

Regional Dialysis Unit

RGN

Registered General Nurse

RMN

Registered Mental Nurse

RMO

Resident Medical Officer

RN

Registered Nurse

RO

Regional Office

ROH

Royal Oldham Hospital

RPST

Risk Pooling Schemes for Trusts

RSGC

Regional Specialized Commissioning Group

RSS

Royal Statistical Society

SaFF

Standing and Financial Frameworks

SALT

Speech and Language Therapy

SAP

Single Assessment Process

SAU

Surgical Assessment Unit

SCBU

Special Care Baby Unit

SCIE

Social Care Institution for Excellence

SCS

Self Care Service

SEA

Significant Event Audit

Secondary Care

is the service that is provided in or by hospitals (NHS Trusts)

SEED

Service Evaluation and Enhancement in Diabetes

SEU

Social Exclusion Unit

SHAPE

Strategic Health Asset Planning & Evaluation (from Department of Health)

SHAs

Strategic Health Authorities

SHAPE

Strategic Health Asset Planning & Evaluation

SHO

Senior House Officer

SI

Statutory Instrument

SIS

Supplies Information System

SITREPS

Situation Reports

SLA

Service Level Agreement – the main mechanism for service provision between NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts for NHS services. An SLA is an agreement that sets out formally the relationship between service providers and customers for the supply of a service by one or another.

SMT

Senior Manager Team

SofS

Secretary of State (e.g. for Health)

SpR

Specialist Registrar

SRD

State Registered Dietician

SSDP

Strategic Service Development Plan

SSI

Social Services Inspectorate

STA

Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges

SUI

Serious Untoward Incidents

SWOP

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Priorities

SWOT

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (analysis)

tbc

to be confirmed

TIA

Transient Ischemic Attack

‘Tier 2’

is a generic term for new types of primary care based services that are designed to enable the NHS to:-

• provide patients with assessments, diagnostic tests and treatments for a wide variety of conditions in primary care settings
• actively manage referrals between PCTs, hospital Trusts and other healthcare providers to ensure the appropriateness of service provision at every stage of the pathway
• improve the sensitivity of commissioning, so the secondary care services provided will better match population needs
• produce a radical reduction in waiting times for outpatient appointments.

TIF

Transport Innovation Fund

TOD

Took Own Discharge

TOR

Terms of Reference

UKCC

United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Health Visiting & Midwifery

UKCHHO

United Kingdom Clearing House on Health Issues

VCS

Voluntary & Community Sector

VCW

Virtual Community Ward

WHO

World Health Organization

WIC

Walk in Centre

WIPP

Working in Partnership Programme

WLS

Waiting List (also known as booked admissions)

YCS

Young Chronic Sick

YDU

Young Disabled Unit

YOC

Year of Care

YoCP

Year of Care Plan

YHYCYS

Your Health Your Care Your Say

ZBB

Zero Based Budgeting

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