Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- A condition affecting attention, activity levels and impulse control, often managed with a combination of support and medication.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Controlled drug (CD)
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Diversion
- When a prescribed medicine is redirected away from the patient it was meant for, for example to be sold, shared or misused.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the UK and sets the standards of conduct and practice they must follow.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides general medical care and with whom most patients are registered.
- Good medical practice
- The General Medical Council's core guidance setting out the professional standards expected of every doctor.
- Identifiers
- Pieces of information used to confirm who a patient is, such as their full name, date of birth and address.
- Identity verification
- Checking that the person being assessed or treated is genuinely who they say they are.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Information governance
- The framework for handling people's personal and health information legally, securely and appropriately.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
- The laws that control how certain medicines liable to misuse are supplied, stored, recorded and prescribed.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The national body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care in England.
- NICE guideline NG87
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on diagnosing and managing ADHD.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained health professional, such as a nurse or pharmacist, who is qualified to prescribe medicines without being a doctor.
- Person with parental responsibility
- Someone who holds the legal rights and duties to make decisions for a child, such as a parent or guardian.
- Person-centred care
- Care that is shaped around each individual's needs, preferences and wishes.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Remote consultation
- A clinical appointment carried out by real-time video or telephone, with the clinician and patient in different places.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Shared care
- An arrangement where a specialist and the patient's GP share responsibility for prescribing and monitoring under a written agreement.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a particular task or process should be carried out consistently.
- Titration
- Gradually adjusting the dose of a medicine to find the amount that works best with the fewest side effects.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Unique patient identifier
- A single reference number used to identify a patient and link their records reliably.