Have you tried our glossary?

A

Acute trust

This is a National Health Service trust. You will find accident and emergency departments and urgent care centres as part of acute trusts.

Admission

The first part of staying in hospital is called your admission.

B

BME

This is about people who are not white. BME means Black Minority Ethnic.

C

CCG

This is a clinical commissioning group made up of a team of GPs. They work together to plan and decide what health services there should be in their local area.

Clinicians

These are doctors or healthcare professionals who see and care for patients.

Communication

This is when we share ideas and pass messages between each other. This could be information, thoughts or feelings using speech, writing, signing or body language.

Community-based

This means something, or someone, is set/based in the community; the local area.

Compulsory

This means something must be done by law or is a rule.

Confidential

This means something is private and is not to be shared with others.

Consent

This is permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.

Consultation

This is a conversation or discussion with people, such as GPs, to get advice from or information about.

D

Data Protection Act

This is law. This law is about keeping private and personal information safe.

Disability Discrimination Act

This is law. This is sometimes called the DDA. It is a law that says disabled people must be treated fairly and equally.

E

Engagement

This can mean two things. Engagement can mean that you and your partner are going to be married. It can also mean holding your attention and involving others in conversation.

Equality

Equality is about making sure that all people are treated fairly and equally and have the same or similar opportunities.

F

Freedom of Information Act

This is law. People are able to ask for information from a public authority, such as an NHS organisation.

G

General practitioner

This is also called a GP. This is a doctor.

Governing

This means governing, or ruling, something like a country or an organisation.

GP

This means a general practitioner. A GP is a doctor.

Guidelines

This is advice on how to do something.

H

Hygiene

This means keeping clean to stop germs and disease from spreading.

I

Immunisation

This can be called a jab, vaccination or injection.

Interpreter

This is a person who can talk in more than one language or sign language. An interpreter helps people, who speak different languages or who may be deaf, to communicate and talk to each other.

L

Legislation

This means a group of laws, which are rules about how we have to behave and what must not happen.

M

Mental Health Act

This is a law in England and Wales. This law allows a person with a mental illness to be kept in hospital and treated without their permission, to make sure the person is safe and the public is protected.

Multi-disciplinary team

This is a group of people working together. The people are usually healthcare professionals. They share plans and help each other, with the best interests of their patients in mind.

N

NHS

The National Health Service

O

Outpatient

This is a patient who gets medical treatment without having to stay in a hospital.

P

Prevention

This means stopping something from happening.

S

Self advocacy

This is about getting good information you can understand, so you can make your own decisions and and speak up for yourself.

Sign posting

This means showing the way to somewhere or something.

Symptoms

This are things that happen to your mind or body that tell us you have a disease or health condition. For example, a cough or a runny nose can be a symptom of a cold.

T

Tender

This can mean different things. Being tender means to be soft or gentle. To tender means to offer something, such as money or an offer to do some work for payment.

Treatment

This is something that doctors, nurses or other health workers give to help people get better. Treatment can be anything like medicine, surgery, physiotherapy or speech therapy.

V

Vaccination

This is a jab or injection. This makes sure that you don’t catch certain bugs and illnesses.

Voluntary sector

The voluntary sector is made up of organisations that choose not to make a profit, such as charities.

W

Wellbeing

This is about being well and happy.