Glossary

The NHS sometimes uses words and acronyms that are particular to health and healthcare. Whilst we try to give clear and easily understood information, it is sometimes necessary to use specialist language.

We hope that this glossary will help to explain certain words and phrases but if you need further information, please contact us using the feedback form.

A
ABI	Acquired Brain Injuries
ABPI	Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
ACRA	Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation
AHP	Allied Health Professionals
ALE	Auditors Local Evaluation (p.34 Ann Report)
Angioplasty	Coronary Angioplasty PCI and PTCA - a technique for treating coronary heart disease and angina
APO	Autonomous Provider Organisation
AWP	Any Willing Provider

B
BACR	British Association for Cancer Research

C
CAA	Comprehensive Area Assessment
CAGR	Compound Annual Growth Rate (for population)
Caldicott Guardian	A senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of patient and service use information and enabling appropriate information sharing
CAMHS	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Care Pathways	A method of organising all of the care a patient receives from the GP practice into hospital and back into the community
C.diff.	Clostridium difficile - a healthcare-acquired infection
CHD	Coronary Heart Disease
CLAHRC	Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care
CNST	Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts
Commisioning GPs Concordat	A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action
Contestability	Widening the market to create more suppliers of public services - prevented through 'barriers to entry'
COPD	Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
CQC	Care Quality Commission http://www.cqc.org.uk
CQUIN	Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (payment framework)

D
DAAT	Drug and Alcohol Action Team
DaVE	Performance Management Group
DCYPB	Disabled Children and Young People's Partnership Board (Northants Body)
DH	Department of Health formed in 1988 from DHSS

E
EBD	Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties
ECM	Every Child Matters
EMAS	East Midlands Ambulance Service
EMPHO	East Midlands Public Health Observatory
EPP	Expert Patient Programme

F
FESC	Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners
Foundation Trusts	Provides care services for local people; run locally with greater freedom from central government
Francis Crick	Born in Northants and died in 2004. With John Watson discovered the structure of DNA
FUR	Freed Up Resources

G
GP	General Practitioner

H
HCAI	Healthcare Acquired Infections
HCC	Healthcare Commission
HES	Hospital Episode Statistics
HMA	Health Market Analysis
HSJ	Health Service Journal
HPA	Health Protection Agency

I
IAPT	Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
IM&T	Information Management & Technology
IMV	Immunisation and Vaccination
IOG	Improving Outcomes Guidance

J

K
KGH	Kettering General Hospital

L
LAA	Local Area Agreement
LARC	Long Acting Reversible Contraception
LIFT	Local Improvement Finance Trust
LMC	Local Medical Committee
LNR	Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
LTC	Long Term Condition

M
Marginal Analysis	Process of identifying the benefits and costs of different alternatives by examining the incremental effect on total cost caused by a very small (just one unit) change in the output or input of each alternative
Marginal Analysis 2	Marginal analysis supports decision-making or incremental changes to recources instead of one based on 'totals' or 'averages'
Marginal Analysis 3	http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marginal-analysis.html
MIAMI	Minor Injuries And Minor Illness
MPET	Multi Professional Education and Training
MRSA	Methicillin Resistent Staphylococcus Aureus (Healthcare Acquired Infection)

N
NAC	National Advisory Council (Children's Mental Health)
NCC	Northamptonshire County Council
NCG	National Commissiong Group
NGH	Northampton General Hospital
NHSLA	NHS Litigation Authority
NHT	Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust
NICE	National Institute for Clinical Excellence
NIS	National Indicator Set
NPSA	National Patient Safety Agency
NSF	National Services Framework
NSR	Next Stage Review
NST	National Support Team

O
ONOF	Our NHS Our Future

P
PAC	Pro-active Care - structured case management programme approach
PALS	Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PAS	Performance Appraisal System
PBC	Practice Based Commissioning
PBMA	Programme Budgeting and Marginal Analysis
PbR	Payment by Results
PEC	Professional Executive Committee's (now Clinical Cabinet)
Phlebotomy	To puncture a vein for the purpose of withdrawing blood; having to do with Blood transfusion, diagnosis or experiment and treatment
Phlebotomy
Plurality of Provision	Use of overseas facil and other providers to buy in services above those immediately available
PPCI	Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Primary Care	Primary care is the term for the health services that play a central role on the local community
Primary Care 2	GPs, pharmacists, dentists and midwives. Every citizen should have the best possible access to these services
PROM	Patient Reported Outcome Measures

Q
QOF	Quality and Outcomes Framework
QSIP	Quality and Safety Improvement Plan

R
RACI	Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed
RPST	Risk Pooling Sheme for Trusts (contributions decreased due to CNST outcome)
RTT	Referral to Treatment

S
SARC	Sexual Assault Referral Clinic
SEA	Significant Event Auditing
Secondary Care	service provided by medical specialists who generally do not have first contact with patients
SHA	Strategic Health Authority
Social Marketing	Systematic application of marketing along with other concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioural goals, to improve health and to reduce inequalities
SSDP	Strategic Service Development Plan
SSM	Strategy and Systems Management
Sure Start	The overall purpose of a Children's centre is to offer a place where children 0-5 years old and their families can have access to services and information
SUS	Secondary Uses Service - the single source of comprehensive data to enable a range of reporting and analysis
SWAN	Sex Workers Around Northamptonshire

T
Third Sector	Voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, co-operatives and mutuals
TIA	Transient Ischaemic Attack causes symptoms similar to a stroke - but lasts less than 24 hours. The most common cause is due to a blood clot.
TuPE	The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations preserve employees' terms and consitions when a business or undertaking, or part of one, is transferred to a new employer
U

V

W

X

Y

Z