Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adult at risk
- An adult who needs care and support and who is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and cannot protect themselves.
- Best interests
- A decision made for someone who cannot decide for themselves, choosing the option that is best for them.
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- A recognised mental health condition in which a person is preoccupied with a perceived flaw in their appearance that is slight or unnoticeable to others, causing marked distress.
- Care Act 2014
- The law setting out councils' duties to assess and meet adults' care and support needs and to protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Chaperone
- A trained person present during an intimate examination to support and protect the patient and the clinician.
- Coercion
- Pressure put on a patient to have a procedure they would not otherwise choose, for example from a partner, family member, employer or social media.
- Contemporaneously
- Written down at the time something happens, or as soon as possible afterwards, so the record is accurate.
- Cooling-off period
- A set period of reflection between consultation and treatment, giving the patient time to decide without pressure.
- Elective intervention
- A treatment chosen by the patient that is planned in advance rather than carried out in an emergency.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the United Kingdom and sets the standards they must meet.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides everyday medical care and can refer patients to other services.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards of safety and quality that registered care providers must meet.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Local authority
- The council responsible for local services, including adult social care and safeguarding.
- 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.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice
- The official guidance explaining how to apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in everyday practice.
- Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR)
- The law governing electronic marketing and the use of cookies and similar technologies, sitting alongside data-protection law.
- Psychological suitability
- An assessment of whether a patient's motivations, expectations and state of mind make an aesthetic procedure appropriate and likely to benefit them.
- 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.
- Safeguarding lead
- The named member of staff responsible for receiving and acting on safeguarding concerns and supporting colleagues.
- Screening tool
- A recognised approach or questionnaire used as a prompt to identify a possible concern; it supports but does not replace clinical judgement.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out exactly how staff must carry out a particular task consistently and safely.
- Vulnerable patient
- A patient who, because of their circumstances or state of mind, may be at greater risk of harm from a decision to have an aesthetic procedure.