Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Accident and Emergency (A&E)
- The hospital department that assesses and treats people with serious or life-threatening injuries and illness, also called the Emergency Department.
- 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.
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- A mental-health condition in which a person is preoccupied with a perceived flaw in their appearance that others may not notice.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for using people's personal information, working alongside the UK GDPR.
- Dermal filler
- An injectable gel used to smooth lines or add volume to the face, which can rarely block a blood vessel and cause serious harm.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Escalation
- Raising a concern to a more senior or more competent colleague so they take over or guide a patient's care.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the UK and sets the standards for good medical practice.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor based in the community who provides everyday medical care and onward referral.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations that set the legal requirements providers must meet to deliver safe, good-quality regulated care.
- Indemnified
- Covered by insurance or a similar arrangement that protects against the costs of a claim if something goes wrong in practice.
- Independent prescriber
- A qualified health professional legally allowed to assess patients and prescribe medicines on their own responsibility.
- Intramuscular adrenaline
- An injection of adrenaline into a muscle, the emergency first-line treatment for anaphylaxis.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the UK and sets the standards in The Code.
- Ophthalmology
- The branch of medicine dealing with the eye and its disorders, including sight-threatening emergencies.
- Red flag
- A symptom or sign that points to a serious or time-critical problem needing urgent or emergency action.
- Referral
- Directing a patient onward to another service or professional for care that is outside the provider's remit.
- 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.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safety-netting
- Giving a patient clear verbal and written advice on what to watch for, what to do and who to contact if things change or worsen.
- SBAR
- A structured handover tool - Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation - used to communicate a clinical concern clearly.
- Scope of competence
- The range of activities a practitioner is trained, qualified, indemnified and currently able to perform safely.
- Skin necrosis
- The death of skin tissue, which can follow a blocked blood vessel and is a serious treatment complication.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A document setting out the agreed step-by-step way a particular task or situation must be handled.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Vascular occlusion
- A blockage of a blood vessel, for example by dermal filler, that cuts off blood supply and needs urgent treatment.