Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adiposity
- The amount of body fat a person carries, which affects their health risk.
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- Wearing a device that measures blood pressure automatically over a full day to give a more reliable picture than a single reading.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Arrhythmia
- An abnormal or irregular heartbeat, where the heart beats too fast, too slow or unevenly.
- Atrial fibrillation
- A common type of irregular heart rhythm that can raise the risk of stroke.
- Baseline assessment
- The set of measurements, observations, history and tests recorded before treatment starts, used as the reference point to judge later change.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A figure worked out from a person's weight and height, used as one indicator of whether their weight is healthy.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- Disease of the heart and blood vessels, such as heart attacks, heart failure, irregular heart rhythms and strokes.
- Cardiovascular risk assessment
- A structured estimate of how likely a person is to develop heart or blood-vessel disease, based on factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Disease affecting the blood vessels supplying the brain, which can lead to a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (mini-stroke).
- Contemporaneous records
- Notes written at the time of, or immediately after, an event so they are accurate and reliable.
- Contraindication
- A specific situation or condition in which a medicine should not be used because it could be harmful.
- Coronary heart disease
- Narrowing or blockage of the arteries supplying the heart, which can cause chest pain or a heart attack.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Dose titration
- Gradually adjusting the dose of a medicine up or down to find the amount that works best with the fewest side effects.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- A simple test that records the electrical activity of the heart to check its rhythm and look for problems.
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
- A blood-test calculation showing how well the kidneys are filtering waste from the blood.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A doctor based in the community who provides everyday medical care and coordinates a patient's wider treatment.
- Glycaemic control
- How well a person's blood sugar level is kept within a healthy range over time.
- HbA1c
- A blood test that shows the average blood sugar level over the past few weeks, used to check for or monitor diabetes.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated health and care must meet.
- Heart failure
- A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should.
- Hypertension
- Persistently raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other problems.
- Impaired glucose regulation
- Blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diabetes, indicating an increased risk of developing it.
- Lipid profile
- A blood test measuring fats such as cholesterol, used to assess the risk of heart and blood-vessel disease.
- Liver function tests
- Blood tests that check how well the liver is working.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK body that regulates medicines and medical devices to make sure they are safe and effective.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care for the health and care system.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained nurse, pharmacist or other registered professional, who is not a doctor, authorised to prescribe medicines.
- Notifiable event
- An incident a provider is legally required to report to the regulator, such as a death or serious injury.
- Palpitations
- An awareness of the heart beating fast, hard or irregularly.
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Narrowing of the arteries supplying the limbs, usually the legs, which can cause pain on walking.
- Red flag
- A symptom or finding that may point to serious underlying illness and that needs urgent assessment before treatment continues.
- 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.
- Remote consultation
- An assessment carried out by video, telephone or secure online questionnaire rather than in person.
- Renal function
- How well the kidneys are working, often checked with blood tests.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Stadiometer
- A calibrated instrument used to measure a person's height accurately.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP)
- A written step-by-step instruction setting out how a particular task or process should be carried out consistently and safely.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The official document for a licensed medicine that sets out how it should be used, including its uses, cautions and required checks.
- Syncope
- Fainting or a temporary loss of consciousness, usually caused by a brief drop in blood flow to the brain.
- Thyroid function tests
- Blood tests that check whether the thyroid gland, which controls metabolism, is working normally.
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- A brief, stroke-like episode caused by a temporary reduction in blood supply to the brain, sometimes called a mini-stroke.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Urea and electrolytes
- A common blood test that checks kidney function and the balance of salts in the body.
- Validated device
- A measuring instrument that has been independently tested and approved as accurate for clinical use.
- Waist circumference
- A measurement around the waist used alongside BMI to assess fat carried around the middle and the related health risk.