Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse reaction
- An unwanted or harmful response a person has to a medicine.
- Bariatric surgery
- Weight-loss surgery, such as a gastric band or bypass, used to treat severe obesity.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres, used as a quick measure of weight relative to height.
- Cardiovascular disease
- Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels, such as heart disease or stroke.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Clinical indication
- A recognised medical reason for giving a particular treatment.
- Comorbidity
- An additional health condition a person has alongside the main one being treated.
- Contemporaneous record
- A note written at the time something happens, or as soon as possible afterwards, so it is accurate and reliable.
- Contraindication
- A circumstance in which a medicine or treatment must not be used because it would be unsafe.
- Caution
- A circumstance in which a medicine can be used but only with extra care, checks or specialist advice.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that controls how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Disordered eating
- Unhealthy eating patterns or attitudes to food that may not meet the full definition of an eating disorder but still cause concern.
- Dose titration
- Gradually increasing or adjusting the dose of a medicine to find the amount that works best and is safest for the patient.
- Dyslipidaemia
- An abnormal level of fats, such as cholesterol, in the blood.
- Eating disorder
- A mental health condition involving a serious disturbance in eating behaviour, such as anorexia or bulimia.
- Endocrine
- Relating to the body's hormone-producing glands, such as the thyroid or pancreas.
- Gallbladder
- A small organ under the liver that stores bile to help digest fat.
- Gastroparesis
- A condition in which the stomach empties more slowly than normal.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the UK and sets the standards they must follow.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A doctor who provides general medical care in the community and is usually a patient's main point of contact for health concerns.
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist
- A class of medicine that mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone to reduce appetite and food intake, some of which are licensed for weight management.
- Healthcare assistant
- A member of staff who supports clinical work, for example by taking measurements such as height and weight, under the direction of qualified clinicians.
- Hepatic
- Relating to the liver.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main UK law governing how medicines are licensed, prescribed, supplied and labelled.
- Hypertension
- Persistently raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Hypoglycaemia
- Abnormally low blood sugar, which can be dangerous and is a particular risk with some diabetes medicines.
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- A long-term condition causing inflammation of the gut, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Insulin
- A hormone medicine used to control blood sugar, mainly in people with diabetes.
- Licensed indication
- The specific use of a medicine that has been officially approved by the medicines regulator.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK body that regulates medicines and medical devices and monitors their safety.
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
- A rare type of thyroid cancer that is a reason not to use certain weight-loss medicines.
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2)
- An inherited condition that causes tumours in hormone-producing glands and is a reason not to use certain weight-loss medicines.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The national body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care for use across health and social care.
- NICE technology appraisal
- A formal recommendation from NICE on whether and how a specific medicine or treatment should be used.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Pancreatitis
- Inflammation of the pancreas, which can be serious and is linked to some weight-loss medicines.
- Prescriber
- A clinician legally allowed to authorise medicines, such as a doctor or a suitably qualified nurse or pharmacist.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- 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.
- Renal
- Relating to the kidneys.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- 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 must be carried out consistently and safely.
- Sulfonylurea
- A type of tablet used to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, which can cause low blood sugar.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The official document for a medicine that sets out its approved uses, dosing, contraindications, warnings and cautions.
- Triage
- The process of quickly assessing patients to decide how urgently they need care and who should see them.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Type 2 diabetes
- A common long-term condition in which the body cannot control blood sugar properly, often linked to excess weight.