NHS Jargon buster – A
- A4C – Agenda for Change, NHS pay, terms and conditions for staff
- A&C – Administrative & Clerical
- A&E – Accident and Emergency
- ACAS – Advisory, Conciliation & Arbitration Service
- ACC – Association of County Councils
- ACHC – Association of Community Health Councils
- ACHCEW – Association of Community Health Councils in England & Wales
- ACPCs – Area Child Protection Committees
- AHC – Association of Healthcare Communicators
- AHP – Allied Health Professional
- AICU – Adult Intensive Care Unit
- AIP – Aids Information Project
- AL or A/L – Annual Leave
- ALA – Association of Local Authorities
- AMA – Association of Metropolitan Authorities
- ANHSO – Association of National Health Service Officers
- APIR – Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review
- ASH – Action on Smoking & Health
- Accident – a traumatic incident involving any part of the body
- Accident and Emergency – usually referred to in its abbreviated form this covers the range of services immediately available in the specialist department of a hospital for patients requiring urgent treatment. Patients requiring immediate treatment or who are referred as an emergency, will usually be assessed here first, before receiving treatment, being referred to another department for admission or discharged, as appropriate
- Action for Young Carers – a programme of support for young people who are responsible for providing care – for example for a family member with a disability – in the home
- Acute – describes a disease of rapid onset, severe symptoms and brief duration. The majority of hospital services provided by QMC and Nottingham City Hospital are for acute illnesses
- Area Child Protection Committees – are statutory sub-committees of Social Services Committees with specific responsibility for overseeing the work of all statutory agencies working with children
- Advocacy – a range of support available to patients and users of services to enable them to have access to a volunteer, or other designated person who will speak for them and ensure that their interests are represented
- Agenda 21 – a programme of action for sustainable development world-wide into the 21st century
- Angina – a sense of suffocation or suffocating pain in the chest, neck or arm, associated with heart disease, and usually brought on by exercise
- Antenatal services – those provided before the birth of a child, for example midwifery services, parentcraft classes.
- Anticoagulants – drugs to prevent blood clotting
- Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Review – strategies for the assessment of children in need and provision of ‘packages’ of support
- Aspirin – widely used drug that relieves less severe types of pain such as headache and toothache, and also reduces inflammation and fever. Low daily doses can be used in the prevention of coronary thrombosis and strokes
- Atrial Fibrillation – irregular heart beat; rapid and irregular heart and pulse rates
- Audit – a continuous process of assessment, evaluation and adjustment
NHS Jargon buster – B
- BA – Benefits Agency
- BACS – Bankers Automated Clearing Service
- BDA – British Dental Association/British Dietician Association/British Diabetic Association
- BEM – Black & Ethnic Minorities
- B/F or BF – Bring Forward
- BM – Business Manager
- BMA – British Medical Association
- BMJ – British Medical Journal
- BPAS – British Pregnancy Advisory Service
- BPL – Blood Products Laboratory
- BTS – Blood Transfusion Service
- BUILD – Black People United in Learning Development
- BUPA – British United Provident Association
- Barnardos – a children’s charity, whose services include finding new families for children with special needs, helping homeless young people, giving disabled children better opportunities and supporting young carers
- Base 51 – a “drop-in” centre in Nottingham city centre offering a wide range of services and activities for young people aged 12-25, including health care advice, access to a doctor, nurse and counsellor, and other facilities such as help with benefits, housing, legal problems and offering the use of TV, videos, books, newspapers
- Baseline – the continuous level of funding, year-on-year before additional resources are taken into account
- Beckhampton Centre – run by Nottingham City Council, the centre provides continuing education for young mothers (under 16 years), supported by health, social and welfare services
- Behavioural Support Plans – individual plans to manage children with behavioural difficulties or special needs. Usually drawn up with the help of teachers, child educationalists, social services and parents
- Best Value – a government initiative which requires local authorities to ensure that their services meet the needs of local people in terms of quality, competitiveness, efficiency, continuous improvement and accountability
- Better Services for Vulnerable People – a Department of Health policy statement which requires health and social services to work together on the provision of services which meet the continuing and community care needs of local people
- Blood Cholesterol – the measure of fat intake to the body. High levels are linked to narrowing of the coronary arteries
- Blood Products – components of whole blood routinely used in surgery and other medical procedures. They are purchased by NHS organisations from the National Blood Transfusion Service
- Bridge to Work – an initiative providing unemployed people with skills to enhance their chances of securing paid employment
- Brokerage – a short term loan or borrowing
