Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres, used to judge whether their weight falls within a healthy range.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Caution (clinical)
- A circumstance in which a medicine may still be used but only with extra care, closer monitoring or a lower dose.
- Chaperone
- A trained person present during an intimate examination to support and protect the patient and the clinician.
- Co-existing condition (comorbidity)
- Another illness or long-term condition a patient has at the same time as the one being treated.
- Contemporaneous record
- A note made at the time of, or immediately after, an event so that it is accurate and complete.
- Contraindication
- A specific situation or condition in which a medicine or treatment should not be used because it could be harmful.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The United Kingdom law that governs how personal information must be handled, kept secure and protected.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Face-match check (liveness check)
- Confirming that the live patient in front of the camera is the same person shown on their photographic identity document.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the United Kingdom and sets the standards they must follow.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers pharmacists and pharmacies in Great Britain and sets the standards they must follow.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A patient's registered family doctor or general practice, usually the first point of contact for everyday healthcare.
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist
- A type of medicine that mimics a natural gut hormone to reduce appetite and is used to help manage weight and diabetes.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations that set out the fundamental standards of safety and quality that registered care providers must meet.
- Information governance
- The framework for handling people's personal and health information legally, securely and appropriately.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment or a process given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Objective measurement
- A weight or height confirmed by reliable evidence rather than the patient's word alone, such as a dated photograph on scales or a supervised video weigh-in.
- Photographic identity (ID)
- A current official document showing the patient's photograph, full name and date of birth, such as a passport or driving licence.
- Prescriber
- A healthcare professional, such as a doctor or an independent prescribing nurse or pharmacist, who is legally allowed to order medicines for patients.
- 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.
- Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment)
- The rule requiring that care and treatment are provided in a safe way, including by properly assessing and managing risks to patients.
- Regulation 9 (Person-centred care)
- The rule requiring that care and treatment are tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each patient.
- Remote consultation
- A clinical assessment carried out at a distance rather than face to face in the same room, for example by online questionnaire, secure message, telephone or video.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Shared care
- An arrangement in which more than one healthcare provider is involved in a patient's treatment and they keep each other informed to keep the patient safe.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction setting out how a particular task must be carried out consistently and safely.
- Triage
- The process of quickly reviewing patients to decide how urgent their needs are and what should happen next.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The United Kingdom's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected, used and kept secure.
- Weight-management medicine
- A medicine prescribed to help a person lose weight or maintain weight loss, alongside diet and lifestyle changes.