Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Asynchronous consultation
- A consultation where the patient and clinician are not communicating at the same moment, for example through an online questionnaire or secure message answered later.
- 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.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets out how organisations must handle people's personal information, working alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
- Did Not Attend (DNA)
- A booked appointment or consultation that the patient does not attend.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the UK and sets the standards they must follow.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A doctor based in the community who provides general medical care and is usually a patient's main, registered doctor.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that registered care providers must meet, including safe care and treatment.
- In-person assessment
- A face-to-face appointment where the patient and clinician are physically together so the patient can be examined.
- National urgent advice line (111)
- A free telephone and online service that gives urgent health advice and directs people to the right care when it is not a life-threatening emergency.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Red flag
- A symptom or sign that may point to serious or time-critical illness and that requires urgent action rather than routine care.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Registered manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Remote care
- Clinical assessment, advice or treatment given without the patient and clinician being in the same place, for example by telephone, video or secure message.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safety-netting
- Clear advice telling a patient what to watch for, how quickly to act and where to seek help if their symptoms change or do not improve.
- Sepsis
- A life-threatening reaction to an infection in which the body damages its own tissues and organs, needing urgent treatment.
- Signposting
- Directing a patient to a more appropriate service for their needs, such as their GP, a pharmacy or urgent care.
- 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 describing how a particular task or process should be carried out consistently and safely.
- Suitability
- A judgement about whether a patient's problem can be assessed and treated safely without a physical examination the service cannot provide.
- Triage
- The process of sorting incoming requests by how urgent they are and how suitable they are for remote care, so each patient is directed to the right service.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.