Jargon Buster
A
Acute
Disease of rapid onset, severe symptoms brief duration
ACS
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Airway
The mouth and windpipe
Angiography
A procedure where a catheter is fed into the heart to widen narrowed
blood vessels
(also known as
cardiac catheterisation)
Angioplasty
(otherwise known as
PTCA or PCI)
A procedure to unblock or widen a blood vessel
Anticoagulant
Drugs to prevent blood clotting
AF
Atrial Fibrillation, Irregular heart beat, rapid and irregular heart beat
ALE
Auditors Local Evaluation
ASD
Atrial Septal Defect
Augmentation
Enlargement
Audit
A continual process of assessment and evaluation
AHP
Allied health care professionals (eg radiographers, technicians)
B
BAMMs
British Association of Medical Managers
BCS
British Cardiac Society
Bilateral
On both sides
Blood cholesterol
Measurement of fat intake in the body (high levels are linked to
narrowings in coronary arteries)
BP
Blood pressure
BNF
British National Formulary (book of drugs)
BGH
Broadgreen Hospital
C
CABG
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
Cholesterol
A substance made by the body
CCA
Critical Care Area
CCU
Critical Care Unit
CD
Clinical Director
CF
Cystic Fibrosis
CHD
Coronary Heart Disease
CIP
Cost Improvement Programme
C & CM
Cardiology and Chest Medicine
CoM
Council of Members
CRES
Cost Reduction and Efficiency Savings
Cardiac arrest
Words used for heart stopping pumping
Cardiac catheterisation
A procedure where a catheter is fed into the heart to widen narrowed
blood vessels
(also known as
angiography)
Cardiovascular
Relates to the Circulatory system
Catheter
A tube used for injection, withdrawal or discharge of fluid
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Clinicians
General term for doctors and surgeons
Community Based
Health Services
Services outside the hospital setting
CAD
Coronary artery disease
CNST
Clinical Negligence Schemes for Trusts (now referred to as NHSLA)
CT
Computer Tomography scan
CCO
Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology
CRT
Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy
CVD
Cardiovascular Disease
D
DNA
Patient that Did not Attend
DGH
District General Hospital
DH
Department of Health
DOF
Director of Finance
Data Protection
Covered by the 1984 Data Protection Act
DVT
Deep vein thrombosis
E
ECG
(Electrocardiogram)
A recording of the electrical activity of the heart
Echo
(Echocardiogram)
Ultrasound examination of the heart
Execs
Executive Directors – managers on the Trust Board
EFL
External Finance Limit
EP
Electrophysiological
ESR
Electronic Staff Record
EWTD
European Working Time Directive
F
FT
Foundation Trust
FBC
Full Business Case
G
GMC
General Medical Council
GA
General Anaesthetic
GI
Gastro Intestinal
GP
General Practitioner
GCS
Glasgow Coma Scale
H
HDU
High Dependency Unit
HCC
Health Care Commission
HCW
Health Commission Wales
HEI
Higher Education Institution
HIP
Health Improvement Partnership
HR
Human Resources
HRG
Healthcare Resource Groups
Hypotensive
Lower blood pressure than the normal range
Hypertensive
Higher blood pressure than the normal range
I
ICU/ITU
Intensive Care Unit / Intensive Therapy Unit
IIP
Investors in People
IM&T
Information Management & Technology
I&E
Income and Expenditure
IBP
Integrated Business Plan
- this plan outlines the Trust’s strategic objectives and is submitted upon
application to become a Foundation Trust
ICD
Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (a device to continuously monitor heart
rhythm)
IOM
Isle of Man
IP
Infection Prevention
IPR
IWL
Individual Performance Review
Improving Working Lives
J
JMU
John Moores University
K
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
KQI
Key Quality Indicator
KSF
Knowledge and Skills Framework
L
LA
Local anaesthetic
LCC
Liverpool City Council
LHCH
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
LINKs
Local Involvement Networks
These will replace the Patient and Public Involvement Forums from April
2008. LINKs are intended to strengthen the way local communities
influence health and social care.
LHE
Local Health Economy
Liverpool JET
Liverpool Jobs, Education and Training
LMS
Learning Management System
LOS
Length of Stay
M
Matrons
Senior Nurse Managers
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Scanner – scans that produce images of the body
by the use of a strong magnetic field and electromagnetic waves.
Multi-disciplinary Team - Medical, nursing, and other related professions
working together as a team
MDT
MEWS
Modified Early Warning Scores - measurement of basic observations for
inpatients – eg, blood pressure/temp/risks
MFF
Market Forces Factor
MIAA
Mersey Internal Audit Agency
MI
Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
MUST
Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool
N
NHSLA
NHS Litigation Authority
NEDs
Non-Executive Directors
NICE
National Institute for Clinical Excellence - organisation that promotes
clinical and cost effectiveness
NHS Trust
A statutory self governing NHS organisation
NMC
Nursing and Midwifery Council
NPfIT
National Programme for Information Technology
NSF
National Service Framework
NWSCT
North West Specialist Commissioning Team
O
Oesophagus
Food pipe
OBC
Outline Business Case
OD
OPD
Organisational Development
Outpatient Department
OHS
Open Heart Surgery
P
PALS
Patient Advice & Liaison Service
PACS
Picture Archiving Communication System
PbR
Payment by Results
PCA
Patient Controlled Analgesia
PET
Positron Emission Tomography
POCCU
Post Operative Coronary Care Unit
PSA
Patient Safety Agency
PPI
Patient & Public Involvement – each Trust has a statutory duty to involve
patient and public in their services
Primary Care
The term for first port of contact for the patient – eg GP
PCT
Primary Care Trust
PRISM
Software upon which incidents received through Risk Management are
entered
PTCA
Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty - a procedure to
unblock or widen a blood vessel
PCI
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - a procedure to unblock or widen a
blood vessel
Q
QAA
Quality Assurance Agency
QoL
Quality of Life
R
RCA
Root Cause Analysis
RCoA
Royal College of Anaesthetists
RCN
Royal College of Nursing
RCP
Royal College of Physicians
RCS
Royal College of Surgeons
RCI
Reference Cost Index
R&D
Research and Development
RLBUHT
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
RNIB
Royal National Institute for the Blind
RNID
Royal National Institute for Deaf People
RTT
Referral to Treatment
S
SACC
Surgical, Anaesthesia and Critical Care
SCT
Specialised Commissioning Team
SHA
Strategic Health Authority
SNMs
Senior Nurse Managers – also known as Matrons
Secondary Care
Usually care provided by district general hospitals
SHO
Senior House Officer – one of the training grade posts a hospital doctor
holds after qualifying before becoming a fully trained specialist
SpR
Specialist Registrar – Specialist training post a hospital doctor holds
before becoming a consultant
Stent
Plastic or metal tube that is inserted to keep a part of the body open – eg
can be inserted into a diseased artery
T
TAG
Technology Appraisal Guidance
TCIs
To Come In – common term for patients coming in for admission
TTOs
To Take Out - Medications to take home on discharge
TB
Tuberculosis
U
URTI
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
UTI
Urinary Tract Infection
V
VF
Ventricular Failure
W
WTE
Whole Time Equivalent