Click here for the NHS Improvement Network Jargon Buster

A&E	Accident and Emergency department of a hospital
ACHCEW	Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales The national body that linked the local CHCs. It was abolished in October 2003.
AVMA	Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents
Alma Ata Declaration	Issued by the WHO/UNICEF in September 1978. Full text availablefrom www.who.dk
Appointments commission	The body that appoints lay people to NHS boards and PPI forums. It comprises, in equal numbers, lay people, NHS staff and Government appointees. It will appoint chairs of PPI forums from 2006.
BAMM	British Association of Medical Managers
BASW	British Association of Social Workers
BMA	British Medical Association The doctors union
BMJ	British Medical Journal The magazine of the BMA
BNF	British National Formulary The list of prescribable treatments
CAM	Complementary and Alternative Medicine Collective name for therapies such as Acupuncture, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Reflexology and Aromatherapy
CHC	Community Health Council A statutory body comprising local government and lay membership. It provides support, advice and advocacy for patients who have complaints against the NHS. It must be consulted about major changes to NHS services. CHCs are due to be abolished in October 2003.
CHAI	The Commission for Health Audit and Improvement Previously CHI. Responsibilities now handled by the Healthcare Commission.
CHIQ	Centre for Health Information Quality
Clinical trial	An experiment to determine the effectiveness and side-effects of a (usually new) treatment. See also RCT (randomised control trial)
Cluster	A division of England for NHS administrative purposes. Clusters are North East, North West and West Midlands, Eastern, Southern and London
CMO	Chief Medical Officer
CNO	Chief Nursing Officer
CNS	Clinical Nurse Specialist
CPD	Continuing Professional Development The requirement that people keep up-to-date with skills and knowledge.
CPN	Community Psychiatric Nurse
CPPIH	The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health A body that came into being on 1 January 2003 and is to be abolished in 2006. It is an independent statutory body representing patient and public interests, interfacing with the secretary of state for health. It is responsible for patients forums including monitoring their performance.
CSM	Committee on Safety of Medicines
CTO	Compulsory Treatment Order
CVS	Council for Voluntary Services
DoH	Department of Health
DNA	Did Not Attend Failed to attend a booked appointment
Double blind trial	A test of the efficacy of a treatment where neither the patient nor the person administering the treatment are aware which patients receive the treatment and which receive a placebo.
DSS	Department of Social Security
Drop-in Centre	A nurse-led centre providing advice and treatments. Open 24 hrs.
EBM	Evidence Based Medicine Preference to use treatment based on measured benefits, often in a randomised control trial (RCT)
FSO	Forum Support Organisation An organisation that provides administrative and other support to a PPI forum
GDC	General Dental Council
GDS	General Dental Services. NHS dental services provided for the majority of patients.
GMS	General Medical Services The services provided by most GPs. (See also PMS)
GP	General Practitioner A doctor providing primary care services in the community. Most are employed as independent contractors to the NHS. A growing number are salaried.
HAZ	Health Action Zone An area of deprivation provided with additional services.
Health Authority	One of 98 organisation now replaced by 28 Strategic Health Authorities covering England.
Healthy Living Centre	An initiative, funded by the DoH designed to improve local health. It need not be a building.
HImP	Health Improvement Programme Specific activities targeting national health priorities augmented by local needs.
HSE	Health and Safety Executive The body responsible nationally for health and safety with powers to investigate and bring to task.
HSJ	Health Service Journal
ICAS	Independent Complaints Advocacy Service A service paid for by the NHS but obtained from independent advocates. It is limited to helping patients to complain. It will be managed by the PCT patients forum
ILAF	Independent Local Advisory Forum
IM&T	Information Management and Technology Computer-based systems and information
Intermediate care	Care provided in the community after discharge from hospital or to avoid admission. May be in the patient's home.
ITU	Intensive Treatment Unit or Intensive Therapy Unit
JIP	Joint Investment Plan Plan to finance initiatives with money from the NHS and other agencies, e.g social services or local government.
LA	Local Authority
LDC	Local Dental Committee
LHB	Local Health Board The primary care organisation in Wales, introduced in 2003.
LHCG	Local Health Care Group The Primary care organisation in Scotland LHG Local Health Group
Ljublijana Charter	Issued by the WHO in 1996 . Encompasses the reform of healthcare, including the recognition of the key role of primary care. Full text available from www.who.dk
LMC	Local Medical Committee
MAAG	Medical audit group
MCA	Medicines Control Agency
MDA	Medical Devices Agency Concerned with devices used in connection with treatments.
MDU	Medical Defence Union Provides insurance for medical practitioners and legal support in case of claims against its members
MIU	Minor Injuries Unit = minor injuries clinic. Minor Injuries Clinic - A clinic in a central location (usually a community hospital) providing treatment for common, but not serious accident cases.
Modernisation agency	Part of the Department of Health. Focusses on delivery of services, sharing best practice and supporting under-achieving trusts.
MPC	Medical Practices Committee
MRC	Medical Research Council
MRI	Magnetic Resonance Imaging A system of scanning parts of the body to provide 3-dimensional images for diagnosis.
MRSA	Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus An infection that is difficult to treat.
NAO	National Audit Office
N.A.P.P.	The National Association for Patient Participation An apolitical charity, formed in 1978 to promote the development of patient participation, principally in general practice.
NCVO	National Council for Voluntary Organisations. An organisation advising and providing services to voluntary organisations.
NEAT	New and Emerging Applications of Technology
NED	Non-Executive Director An appointed member of a trust board, paid about £5,000 p.a.
NeLH	National electronic Library for Health An on-line information resource for staff and patients of the NHS.
NHSE	National Health Service Executive. The top level of administration of the NHS.
NHSIA	National Health Service Information Authority Responsible for managing NHS information including patient records.
NICE	National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence The body that is responsible for defining what is good for us! Best known as the body that approves (or otherwise) the introduction of new treatments. It has a patient panel, to provide greater public input.
Nolan Principles	The "rules" for appointing people to statutory bodies. These are intended to ensure inclusive representation.
NVQ	National Vocational Qualification Used within, but not exclusive to the NHS.
NSF	National Service Framework Guidelines for the management of major conditions such as coronary care, cancer, care of the elderly, diabetes and mental illness.
ONS	Office for national Statistics
OPD	Out-Patients Department
OSC	Overview and Scrutiny Committee Each local council with social services responsibility may choose to scrutinise any NHS organisation that provides services to its citizens. There is no obligation to do so.
OT	Occupational Therapy
OTC	Over The Counter Medicine that can be purchased from a pharmacist without a prescription.
PALS	Patient Advice and Liaison Service Each NHS trust is required to set up a PALS. It usually reports to the chief nursing officer, but should have direct access to the trust board. Its role is to help patients on the spot and thus prevent a problem becoming a complaint. It also provides signposts to patient support organisations, including ICAS. PALS will play a key role in improving the quality of local services.
PAMs	Professionals Allied to Medicine Includes service providers such as physiotherapists
PCG	Primary Care Group Forerunner of the PCT in England
PDS	Personal Dental Services
PCO	Primary Care Organisation Generic term used to include PCT in England, LHG and LHB in Wales and LHCB in Scotland.
PPG	Patient Participation Group A voluntary group of patients, usually based on a GP surgery or health centre. It may include staff from the practice and should always have links with the practice. Its aims may be described in a constitution. Some are registered as a charity. Activities vary to suit local needs. A group may choose to affiliate to N.A.P.P.
PCT	Primary Care Trust The NHS organisation that provides local health services in England including GP services, health visiting, midwifery and community hospital services (where they exist). It commissions secondary and tertiary care on behalf of its patients.
PCT board	The governing body of the PCT. It comprises a Chair, five non-executive directors and four professionals. It has a Chief Executive, finance director and other directors. The chair and NED (non-executive directors) are chosen by the appointments commission
PCT executive	Comprises representatives of the NHS professions (including doctors, nurses, dentists), plus the chair, chief executive and finance director of the trust. It reports to the trust board.
PEC	Professional Executive Committee A committee of the PCT that advises clinical matters. It comprises health professionals; not only doctors and nurses, but dentists, pharmacists, opticians and others providing NHS services
PFI	Private Finance Initiative Scheme for building NHS facilities with non-NHS money.
PGEA	Post Graduate Education Allowance A scheme for rewarding GP's for training prior to April 1st 2004
PHC	Primary Health Care
PI	Performance Indicator Measure of performance against a specific criterion
PIL	Patient Information Leaflet
Placebo	A treatment with no known ability to change a patient's condition, administered to improve a patient's confidence in recovery or as part of a clinical trial Placebo effect A change in a patient's condition brought about by the (false) belief that they have been given a condition enhancing treatment when they have received a placebo.
PMI	Private Medical Insurance
PMS	Personal Medical Services A contract for a GP practice to provide specified services to its patients
PMS pilot	A GP practice providing PMS during the early years.
POM	Prescription Only Medicine
PPI Forum	An independent body introduced by the NHS reform act. It monitors and reports on trust plans and actions and influences the provision of services. It monitors the effectiveness of PALS and has the power to substitute alternative PALS arrangements. It is the first body to have the power to monitor activity in GP practices. Each forum has 10 to 15 members of the public and is supported by forums a FSO. Forums in PCTs co-ordinate activity across other local forums and provide ICAS. Under proposed legislation PCT forums will take over the monitoring of all local NHS trusts. They work in co-operation with OSCs.
Primary care	Health services delivered by general practitioners, their staff and other health professionals in the home, GP surgery or community hospital setting.
QA	Quality Assurance A system for ensuring that designed actions are consistently delivered
QALY	Quality Adjusted Life Year An attempt to quantify the benefit of a treatment in terms of the effect on the quality of life of the patient x the expected duration the benefit will accrue.
QUANGO	Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation
R&D	Research and Development
RCT	Randomised Control Trial. A method of evaluating a treatment where the effects of the treatment on a group of patients are compared with a control group, i.e. a similar group of patients who are treated with a placebo (see placebo effect). See also double blind trial.
REC	Research Ethics Committee
Regions	The NHS in England is divided into four regions (North, Midlands, South and London), with a director of Health and Social Services. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are devolved Regions with separate NHS organisations.
RGN	Registered General Nurse
Risk	Every medical intervention has a risk, however small it may be. It is one of the factors affecting patient choice.
RMN	Registered Mental Nurse
RNMH	Registered Nurse for the Mentally Handicapped
RSCN	Registered Sick Children's Nurse
RSU	Regional Secure Unit
SCBU	Special Care Baby Unit
SDS	Special Dental Services. A specialist NHS dental service for patients requiring exceptional care.
SHA	Special Health Authority A trust providing non-medical services. NICE is a SHA.
SHA	Strategic Health Authority 28 SHA replaced 98 health authorities covering England on ist April 2002. The StHA will monitor performance of the trusts in its area including the PCTs. Initially abbreviated to StHa
Secondary care	Care provided following a referral from primary care, typically in an acute hospital
SI	Statutory Instrument The means by which details are added to Acts of Parliament.
SLA	Service Level Agreement
Statutory Body	A body brought into being by act of parliament with a defined role, powers and membership.
SWOT	Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats A technique for analysing the status of an organisation.
Tertiary care	Care provided by specialist trusts. These include the Mental Health Services and Cancer services. Specialist trusts are formed where there is an overriding need to create centres of expertise in order to provide the required standard of care.
TSO	The Stationery Office Previously HMSO
WHO	World Health Organisation An influential international body that makes recommendations for improving health globally, based on consensus from national representatives. The European organisation provides guidance for countries in Europe. Recommendations mentioned here are the Alma Ata Declaration and Ljublijana Charter. Its recommendations are not binding, but are usually endorsed by the UK government.
WTE	Whole Time Equivalent Method of defining resources provided by part time workers.