NHS Jargon buster – O
- OATS – Out of Area Treatments
- OD – Organisational Development or Operating Department
- ONS – Office for National Statistics
- OOHs – Out of Hours
- OPCS – Office of Population and Censuses and Surveys
- OPSS – Office of Public Service and Science
- OSC – Ophthalmic Service Committee
- OSG – Officer Support Group
- Obstetrics – the branch of medical science concerned with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth and for about six weeks after the birth, when the reproductive organs are recovering
- Oncology – the study and practice of treating tumours
- On-line – an information technology term, it means that you are connected
- Ophthalmology – the branch of medicine devoted to the study and treatment of eye diseases
- Organisational Development Plans – the means by which the goals and values of the organisation are integrated with individuals to create a culture that is able to meet its objectives through its people
- Osteoporosis – loss of bony tissue resulting in bones that are brittle and liable to fracture. Common in the elderly and women following the menopause
- Otorhinolaryngology – the study of ear, nose and throat diseases
- Out of Area Treatments – formerly known as Extra Contractual Referrals, these are services usually purchased from outside the district on an individual patient basis and for which there is no existing service agreement in place
- Outcome – the effect of treatment on a patient , which may be measured in a number of ways such as mobility after operation or survival rate
- Outpatient Care – provided by a hospital department on an appointment basis without the need to be admitted to or stay in hospital. An outpatient appointment may be used to assess further treatment or to follow up a patient after they have had a period of treatment or an operation. Outpatient services can also be provided in GP surgeries or other community settings
NHS Jargon buster – PPA – Personal Assistant
- PAC – Public Accounts Committee
- PACE – Purchasing Authority Chief Executives
- PACT – Prescription Analysis and Cost
- PACS – Picture Archive Communication System
- PALS – Patients Advice and Liaison Services
- PAMs – Professions Allied to Medicine
- PAS – Patient Administrative System
- PBC – Practice based commissioning
- PbR – Payment by results
- PC – Personal Computer
- PCA – Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman)
- PCIP – Primary Care Investment Plan
- PCG – Primary Care Group
- PCT – Primary Care Trust
- PDP – Personal Development Plan
- PEC – Professional Executive Committee
- PES – Public Expenditure Survey
- PFI – Private Finance Initiative
- PGEA – Post Graduate Education Allowance
- PGO – Paymaster Generals Office
- PHLS – Public Health Laboratoy Service
- PI – Performance Indicator
- PID – Project Initiation Document
- PMS – Personal Medical Services
- P&OD – Personnel and Organisational Development
- PODS – Pharmacy, Opthalmic, Dental and Superannuation
- PPA – Prescription Pricing Authority
- PPI – Patient and Public Involvement
- PPS – Parliamentary Private Secretary
- PQ – Parliamentary Question
- PR – Public Relations
- PRB – Pay Review Body
- PRD – Performance Review and Development
- PRO – Public Relations Officer
- PRP – Performance Related Pay
- PS – Pharmaceutical Services
- PSC – Pharmaceutical Service Committee
- PSD – Patient Services Department
- PSNI – Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
- Pt – Patient
- PTS – Patient Transport Services
- Paediatrics – the general medicine of childhood
- Paramedic – a professionalclosely linked to a medical professional and working in conjunction with them. Such professionals need expert knowledge and experience in certain fields, but no medical degree. Paramedical personnel in hospital include radiographers, physiotherapists and dieticians, also ambulance service staff
- Partnership in Action – a discussion document which aims to encourage collaboration working between agencies by removing barriers in the existing system, introducing new incentives for joint working and achieving better monitoring
- Patient Partnership Strategy – the blueprint for user and carer involvement in health service planning and delivery in Nottingham. Launched in 1999, the strategy aims to give clear direction to the future role of users and carers as an integral part of health service objectives
- Patient Records – can be either a manual or computer record in which information relating to a patient’s health and medical treatment is recorded and kept
- Patient’s Charter – the national guarantees of service which patients can expect from the NHS. The Patient’s Charter covers all NHS services. There are also specific charters for mental health and children’s services
- Patient Transport Services – Provision of non-emergency transport for patients being admitted/transferred/discharged from hospital or attending Outpatients/Day Care facilities
- Performance Agreement – an annual commitment by the whole health community to co-ordinated initiatives to meet the national priorities. Performance by the Health Authority and Trusts is measured against a series of agreed target areas by the NHS Executive
- Peripatetic – resources or services which are flexible, being able to be deployed where and when they are needed, rather than from one fixed place
- Personal, Social and Health Education programmes – non subject specific programmes used by schools to teach topics relating to personal development and education, for example smoking, bullying. See also National Curriculum
- Planning for Real – a scenario planning methodology, used by the Office of Public Management, to facilitate the implementation of action
- Podiatry – treatment of disorders of the foot
- Positive Futures – the Nottingham strategyfor the development of services for people with Learning Disabilities
- Postgraduate Dean – a university or college official responsible for overseeing studies for students who have attained a degree and who wish to continue their education to further qualifications
- Prevalence – the likely spread or incidence of a disease or illness in the population
- Primary Care – the collective term for all services which are the first point of contact for the patient, for example the GP
- Primary Care Groups – introduced on April 1 1999, PCGs brought together GPs, community nurses, social services and community representatives within a geographical area to improve the provision of primary care and to arrange hospital and other more specialised services for their patients. There were six PCGs in the Nottingham district which were superseded by the Primary Care Trusts.
- Primary Care Investment Plan – a costed three year rolling plan outlining the PCG/PCT’s overall intentions for the development of primary care across its area
- Primary Care Trusts–succeeded PCGs with responsibilities for improving the health of the community, developing primary and community health services and commissioning secondary care services. Whereas PCGs were sub-committees of the Health Authority, PCTs are freestanding bodies. Nottingham’s PCT’s took over functions from the PCG’s, Nottingham Community Health NHS Trust, most of the functions of Nottingham Health Authority and some services from Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust. The PCTs have the same boundaries as local authorities.
- Primary School – where educational provision is made for children aged 4-11, incorporating nursery, infant and junior schools
- Professions Allied to Medicine – collective term formedical professionals, other than doctors and nurses, for example, midwives, occupational therapists, paramedics
- Prostitute Outreach Workers – a voluntary organisation for the health, welfare and safety of women involved in prostitution
- Psychological – of the mind
- Purchasing Plans – annual plans which detail the allocation of resources to services. Since 1998/99, these plans have been incorporated into the Service and Financial Framework
