Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adrenaline
- An emergency medicine given by injection to treat a severe allergic reaction or to support the heart and circulation in a collapse.
- Advanced nurse practitioner
- A senior nurse with extra training who can assess, diagnose and treat patients, and in many cases prescribe medicines.
- Aspirin
- A common medicine used in an emergency to help thin the blood when a heart attack is suspected.
- Buddy / check-in system
- An agreed arrangement where a named colleague keeps track of a lone worker, knows when they are due back, and raises the alarm if contact is lost.
- Care navigation
- Trained reception staff helping a patient reach the most appropriate service or clinician for their need.
- Chaperone
- A trained person present during an intimate examination to support and protect the patient and the clinician.
- Clinical waste
- Used healthcare materials, such as dressings or items contaminated with blood, that must be disposed of safely and separately.
- Contemporaneously
- Writing notes at the time of the event, or as soon as possible afterwards, so the record is accurate and reliable.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sits alongside the UK GDPR and governs how people's personal information must be handled.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Doctor's bag
- The portable bag of equipment and medicines a clinician carries to assess and treat patients away from the practice.
- Duty doctor
- The doctor responsible on a given day for assessing requests, deciding clinical urgency and authorising home visits.
- Dynamic risk assessment (DRA)
- A risk check made on the spot using the information available at the time, which can change as the situation changes.
- Glucagon
- An emergency medicine given by injection to raise dangerously low blood sugar.
- Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)
- A fast-acting medicine, usually a spray or tablet under the tongue, used to relieve chest pain caused by the heart.
- Hand hygiene
- Cleaning the hands by washing or with alcohol gel to stop the spread of infection between patients.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main UK law placing a duty on employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- The national body responsible for regulating and enforcing workplace health and safety in Great Britain.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, including safe care and treatment (Regulation 12).
- Home visit
- A clinical assessment or treatment carried out at a patient's home or other place of residence rather than at the practice.
- Housebound patient
- A patient who is unable to leave home to attend the practice, usually because of illness, frailty or disability.
- INDG73
- A Health and Safety Executive guidance leaflet titled Protecting lone workers, which explains how to keep staff who work alone safe.
- Lone worker
- A person who works by themselves without close or direct supervision, including a clinician visiting a patient alone.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The regulations that require employers to assess risks to staff and others and put suitable controls in place.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Otoscope
- A handheld instrument with a light used to look inside the ear.
- Palliative care
- Care that focuses on comfort, dignity and quality of life for people with a serious or life-limiting illness.
- Paramedic
- A registered clinician trained to assess and treat patients in the community and in emergencies.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Pulse oximeter
- A small clip-on device that measures the oxygen level in the blood and the pulse rate.
- Registered manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment)
- The part of the care regulations requiring care and treatment to be provided in a safe way, including managing risks to people's health and safety.
- Resuscitation Council UK
- The national organisation that sets the recommended standards for emergency resuscitation and life support.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safety-netting
- Telling a patient or carer what to watch for and who to contact if their condition gets worse.
- Sepsis
- A life-threatening reaction to an infection that needs urgent emergency treatment.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Sphygmomanometer
- A device used to measure a patient's blood pressure.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a particular task should be carried out consistently and safely.
- Stethoscope
- An instrument used to listen to the heart, lungs and other internal sounds.
- Triage
- Sorting and prioritising patients by clinical urgency so the most serious needs are dealt with first.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.