Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Anaesthetist
- A doctor who specialises in giving anaesthesia and keeping a patient safe and pain-free during a procedure.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Anticoagulant
- A medicine that thins the blood and reduces clotting, which may need to be adjusted before a procedure.
- Antiplatelet
- A medicine such as aspirin or clopidogrel that stops blood platelets sticking together, which may need to be adjusted before a procedure.
- ASA grade
- A score from one to five (the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification) describing how fit a patient is for anaesthesia and surgery.
- Baseline observations
- The starting measurements of vital signs, such as blood pressure and pulse, used to compare against later readings.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of weight relative to height, used to gauge whether a person is underweight, healthy or overweight.
- Capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Contemporaneous record
- A note written at the time of, or as soon as possible after, the event it describes.
- Cooling-off (reflection) period
- A set period of time giving a patient the chance to think before agreeing to a procedure, without pressure.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that governs how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Difficult airway
- A situation where it is harder than usual to keep a patient breathing or to insert a breathing tube during anaesthesia.
- DNA (did not attend)
- A booked appointment that the patient did not attend and did not cancel beforehand.
- Elective procedure
- A planned, non-emergency treatment that is scheduled in advance.
- Episode of care
- The whole planned course of treatment for a patient, from booking through to discharge.
- Escort
- A responsible adult who takes the patient home and, where needed, stays with them after sedation or anaesthesia.
- Fasting
- Going without food and, in some cases, drink for a set time before sedation or anaesthesia, to reduce risk.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- General anaesthesia
- Medication that puts a patient fully to sleep so they feel nothing during a procedure.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors and sets the standards they must follow in the UK.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides general medical care in the community.
- Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services (GPAS)
- Standards published by the Royal College of Anaesthetists for how anaesthesia services should be organised and delivered.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The law setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated health and care must meet.
- Independent setting
- A private clinic, hospital or service that operates without the on-site backup of a large acute general hospital.
- Indication
- The clinical reason that makes a particular treatment or procedure appropriate for a patient.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Intensive care unit
- A hospital ward providing close monitoring and life support for the most seriously ill patients.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The national body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- NG45 (Routine preoperative tests for elective surgery)
- National guidance on which tests should, or should not, be done routinely before planned surgery.
- NG180 (Perioperative care in adults)
- National guidance on the care of adults before, during and after surgery.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- A condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, which can raise the risk of anaesthesia.
- Operating department practitioner
- A registered professional who supports patients and the clinical team before, during and after operations.
- Optimisation
- Improving a patient's health or controlling a condition before a procedure so it can be done more safely.
- Oxygen saturation
- A measure of how much oxygen the blood is carrying, usually read from a clip on the finger.
- Perioperative
- Relating to the whole period around an operation, including before, during and after it.
- Pre-assessment
- A structured check before treatment to confirm the patient is fit for the procedure and that the setting is suitable.
- 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.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Royal College of Anaesthetists
- The professional body that sets standards and training for anaesthetists in the UK.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Sedation
- Medication that relaxes a patient and reduces awareness during a procedure without putting them fully to sleep.
- 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).
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out how a particular task is to be carried out consistently and safely.
- Surgical safety checklist
- A standard list of checks completed by the team before, during and after an operation to prevent avoidable harm.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.