Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- ABCDE approach
- A standard emergency method for assessing and treating a seriously ill patient in order: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and Exposure.
- Accident and emergency department
- The hospital department that treats people with serious or life-threatening injuries and illnesses needing urgent care.
- Adrenaline
- An emergency medicine injected to treat a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Aseptic non-touch technique
- A careful method of carrying out a procedure so that the parts that must stay sterile are never touched, reducing the risk of infection.
- Aspiration
- Drawing back on the syringe plunger before injecting to check the needle has not entered a blood vessel.
- Basic life support (BLS)
- First-response emergency care, such as chest compressions and rescue breaths, given to keep someone alive until advanced help arrives.
- Best interests
- A decision made for someone who cannot decide for themselves, choosing the option that is best for them.
- Biofilm
- A thin, stubborn layer of bacteria that can form around an implant or filler and cause persistent infection.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- A mental health condition in which a person worries excessively about perceived flaws in their appearance.
- British Standard BS 7320
- The published safety standard that sharps disposal bins must meet.
- Cannula
- A thin, blunt-tipped tube used instead of a sharp needle to place filler with less risk of damaging blood vessels.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- CE marking
- A mark showing a product meets European safety and performance standards, still recognised for some products placed on the UK market.
- Chlorhexidine
- An antiseptic solution used to clean the skin before injection to reduce infection.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Cooling-off period
- A set waiting time between consultation and treatment so the patient can reflect before deciding to go ahead.
- Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA)
- A body that sets clinical standards for safe practice in cosmetic procedures.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Dermal filler
- A gel substance injected under the skin to smooth lines or add volume, most often made from hyaluronic acid.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Granuloma
- A small lump of inflamed tissue that the body can form as a reaction around injected filler.
- Health Technical Memorandum 07-01
- Official guidance on the safe and sustainable management and disposal of healthcare waste.
- Hepatitis B
- A virus that infects the liver and can be passed on through blood; staff can be protected by vaccination.
- Hyaluronic acid
- A natural substance found in the skin, used in many dermal fillers and able to be dissolved if needed.
- Hyaluronidase
- An enzyme injected to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler, used to correct problems or reverse a blocked blood vessel.
- Immediate life support (ILS)
- A level of emergency resuscitation training above basic first aid, covering the early management of a collapsing patient.
- Indemnity
- Insurance or professional cover that pays compensation if a patient is harmed and makes a claim.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between patients, staff and visitors.
- Information governance
- The framework for handling people's personal and health information legally, securely and appropriately.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Inoculation injury
- An injury, such as a needlestick or splash, that could pass infection from blood or body fluids into a person.
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)
- A voluntary register and standards body for practitioners who carry out cosmetic procedures.
- Lidocaine
- A local anaesthetic medicine used to numb the skin and reduce pain during treatment.
- Medical device
- A product, such as a dermal filler, used for a medical or treatment purpose rather than working like a medicine.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK body that regulates the safety of medicines and medical devices.
- Mental capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Necrosis
- The death of body tissue, which can follow a blocked blood vessel after filler injection.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Notifiable event
- An incident a provider is legally required to report to the regulator, such as a death or serious injury.
- Patient Specific Direction (PSD)
- A written instruction from a prescriber to give a named medicine to a named individual patient.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Medicine given soon after possible exposure to an infection, such as HIV, to help prevent it taking hold.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- So far as is reasonably practicable
- A legal test meaning the effort and cost of a safety measure must be balanced against the risk it removes.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- UKCA marking
- A mark showing a product meets the safety and performance requirements for sale in Great Britain.
- Vascular occlusion
- A blockage of a blood vessel, here by filler, which can cut off blood supply and cause tissue death or blindness.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The UK system for reporting suspected side effects of medicines or faults in medical devices to the regulator.