Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- 111 (mental health option)
- The free urgent health telephone line; the mental health option connects to trained mental health staff at any time.
- Accessible Information Standard
- A national standard, legally required for publicly funded care, on identifying and meeting communication needs linked to disability.
- Amenorrhoea
- Absence of periods.
- Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)
- A hormone reflecting egg reserve; not used to diagnose menopause over 45.
- Best interests
- The legal basis for a decision made for a person who lacks capacity to make it (Mental Capacity Act 2005).
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres.
- BRCA
- Genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) that, when altered, greatly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
- British Menopause Society (BMS)
- The UK specialist society for health professionals in menopause care.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
- Combined hormonal contraception
- Contraception containing an oestrogen and a progestogen, such as the combined pill, patch or ring.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that, with the UK GDPR, governs the use of personal information.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty (Regulation 20) to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong.
- Enzyme-inducing medicine
- A medicine that speeds up the breakdown of hormones and can make them less effective.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination and requiring reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
- A European professional society that published a guideline on POI in 2024.
- Failsafe
- A tracking step confirming that a result, referral or follow-up has actually happened.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- A hormone that rises as ovarian function declines, measured by blood test.
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
- A 7-question tool measuring the severity of anxiety.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The UK regulator of doctors.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The regulator of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- The patient's family doctor.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards CQC-registered providers must meet.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Oestrogen, usually with a progestogen if the patient has a uterus, used to relieve menopausal symptoms.
- IU/L
- International units per litre, the unit for FSH results.
- Lasting power of attorney (LPA)
- A legal document appointing someone to make decisions if a person loses capacity; a health and welfare LPA covers medical decisions.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law on assessing capacity and making decisions for people who lack it.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body publishing national evidence-based health and care guidelines for England.
- NICE NG12, NG23 and NG136
- NICE guidelines on suspected cancer referral, menopause, and high blood pressure in adults.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The UK regulator of nurses, midwives and nursing associates.
- Oestradiol
- The main oestrogen made by the ovaries and used in most HRT.
- Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- A 9-question tool measuring the severity of depression.
- Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)
- Loss of normal ovarian function before the age of 40.
- Records Management Code of Practice (2023)
- National guidance on how long health records are kept and how they are managed.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A document setting out the agreed step-by-step way to carry out a task.
- Subtotal hysterectomy
- Removal of the womb leaving the cervix, where some womb lining may remain.
- Suspected cancer pathway referral
- An urgent referral for tests to confirm or rule out cancer quickly.
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- A temporary loss of blood supply to part of the brain (mini-stroke) needing emergency assessment.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK law setting the rules for processing personal data, including health information.
- Vasomotor symptoms
- Hot flushes and night sweats.
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- A blood clot in a vein, such as in the leg or lung.