Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of weight relative to height.
- British Menopause Society (BMS)
- The United Kingdom specialist society for menopause care.
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- The sign language used by many Deaf people in the United Kingdom.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care in England.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- A talking therapy that helps people manage symptoms.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine with extra legal controls because it can be misused.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
- A low-dose X-ray scan measuring bone density.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest when something goes wrong with care.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination.
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Cutting or injuring the female genitals for non-medical reasons; a crime under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.
- FRAX
- A tool estimating a person's 10-year fracture probability.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The regulator of doctors.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The regulator of pharmacists and pharmacies in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who usually holds a patient's main medical record.
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist
- A type of medicine used for diabetes and weight management.
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
- The regulator of independent healthcare in Scotland.
- Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW)
- The regulator of independent healthcare in Wales.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Medicines replacing oestrogen, usually with a progestogen, to relieve menopausal symptoms.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The law on licensing, supplying and advertising medicines.
- Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)
- A hormonal coil placed in the womb that releases a progestogen.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The regulator of medicines, which runs the Yellow Card scheme and publishes the Blue Guide on advertising.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law on assessing whether a person can make a decision.
- Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
- The law setting rules for prescribing and supplying controlled drugs.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body producing clinical guidelines in England; NG23 covers menopause and NG12 suspected cancer.
- National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG)
- The group publishing United Kingdom guidance on fracture risk and osteoporosis.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The regulator of nurses and midwives.
- Off-label use
- Using a licensed medicine in a way not covered by its licence.
- Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)
- Loss of ovarian function before the age of 40.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care that must be registered with CQC before it is provided in England.
- Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)
- The health and social care regulator in Northern Ireland.
- Regulated Activities Regulations 2014
- The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, setting the fundamental standards.
- Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP)
- A protocol letting pharmacists supply an alternative medicine during a serious shortage.
- Statement of Purpose
- The document describing a registered provider's services, required by the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- A temporary interruption of blood supply to the brain; a warning sign of stroke.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018
- The laws governing how personal information is used and protected.
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- A blood clot in a vein, such as in the leg or lungs.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The MHRA system for reporting suspected side effects of medicines.