Glossary
ACBS
Advisory committee on borderline substances; prescriptions thus endorsed reclassify special foods (eg without gluten) as a free drug
AGMS
Alternative general medical services (non-NHS, purchased by PCTs)
CHI
Commission for health improvement-aims to improve standards by: assessing NHS organizations and publicly investigating failure-and checking that the NHS is following national guidelines. It advises on best practice
DES
Directed enhanced services (see LES and NES)
DoH/DSS
Government department of health/department of social services
DNA
Did not attend (for a booked appointment waste of NHS resources)
EBM
Evidence-based medicine, or the journal of the same name
ECR
Extracontractual referral; ie no existing contract exists ( costly)
EHR
Electronic health record accessible anywhere in the NHS; doesn't exist
FMed 3 & 5
Forms for sick pay
FP10
The form on which NHS prescriptions are written-ie scrip(t)s
GMC
General medical council
HIMP
Health improvement & modernization program, eg smoking rates
IM&T
Information management and technology
LES
Locally agreed enhanced service (see NES and DES)
LIS
Local implementation strategy, eg for IM&T
LMC
Local medical committee (which approves or withholds approval for various centrally promulgated non-statutory health policies)
MASTA
Medical advisory service for travellers abroad http://www.masta.org/
MCP
Male chauvinist pig;medical care practitioner, way between nurse & GP
MDU/MPS
Medical defence union and the medical protection society
MeSH
Medical subheadings used in medline searches
NELH
National electronic library for health http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/
NES
National enhanced service eg GPs monitoring patients response to disease-modifying drugs in rheumatology (liaising with the consultant)
NHS
National health service: a system for providing health services universally free at the point of use, funded out of general taxation
NICE
National institute of clinical excellence
NMC
Nursing and midwifery council (replaces UKCC)
NPSA
National patient safety agency for reporting critical incidents
NSF
National service framework
OTC
Over the counter medicine
PACT
Trademark of the prescription pricing authority (PPA)
PCO
Primary care organization (usually a Trust-PCT)
PDP
Personal development plan http://www.emisPDP.com
POM
Prescription-only medicine
PRODIGY
Prescribing advice triggered by entering Read codes
QMAS
Quality management analysis system (nationally agreed way of extracting data from GP computer systems to quantify quality points for QOF)
QOF
Quality and outcomes framework (in the UK, getting paid by results, eg if 74% of diabetics have an HbA1c <7.4% and BP <145/85)
RCT
Randomized controlled trial
SaFF
Service and financial framework-a financial plan
SFE
Statement of financial entitlement (NHS)
SLS
Selected list scheme; written on an FP10, this makes Viagra etc free, eg if DM, MS, parkinsonism, prostate ca, spina bifida, cord injury or polio
SMR
Standardized mortality ratios
SPN
Supplementary prescribing nurse
TQM
Total quality management http://www.eiro.eurofound.ie/1997/05/Feature/UK9705113F.html
DVLA
Driving vehicle licensing authority http://www.dvla.gov.uk/at_a_glance/content.htm
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