Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Caldicott Guardian
- The senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people's health and care information.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sits alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation and governs how personal information must be handled.
- Discharge
- The point at which a patient's clinical episode ends and they leave the clinic's direct care.
- Discharge summary
- A written record of a patient's care and treatment, sent to their GP, covering the diagnosis, what was done, medicines and the follow-up plan.
- DNA (Did Not Attend)
- A booked appointment that the patient did not come to and did not cancel in advance.
- Emergency Department
- The hospital department that treats people who arrive with serious or life-threatening illness or injury, also known as A&E.
- Escort
- A responsible adult who accompanies a patient home after sedation or certain procedures and stays with them.
- Failsafe
- A documented system that makes sure a required follow-up, result or referral is tracked through to completion and not missed.
- Fit note
- An official statement from a clinician about whether and how a person's health affects their ability to work.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the UK and sets the standards they must follow.
- Good medical practice
- The General Medical Council's core guidance setting out the standards of conduct and care expected of every doctor.
- GP (General Practitioner)
- A family doctor who provides everyday medical care in the community and coordinates a patient's wider care.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment or to information being shared, given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Local anaesthetic
- Medicine that numbs a specific part of the body so a procedure can be carried out while the patient stays awake.
- Mental capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Observations
- Routine measurements of how a patient is doing, such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen levels.
- Person-centred care
- Care that is planned around the individual patient's needs, wishes and circumstances.
- Red flags
- Specific warning signs or symptoms that mean a patient should seek medical help promptly.
- 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requiring care and treatment to be provided safely.
- Regulation 17 (Good governance)
- The part of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requiring systems to monitor and improve the quality and safety of care.
- Regulation 9 (Person-centred care)
- The part of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requiring care to be tailored to the individual.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safety-netting
- Clear advice on warning signs, what to do, and who to contact if a patient's condition changes or worsens.
- Sedation
- Medicine used to make a patient calm or drowsy so a procedure can be carried out more comfortably.
- Self-discharge
- When a patient who has the mental capacity to decide chooses to leave, or to decline recommended care or follow-up, against clinical advice.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a particular task or process must be carried out consistently.
- TTO (To Take Out medicines)
- The take-home medicines supplied to a patient when they are discharged.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.