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Jargon Buster A-Z
 

IMPRESS NHS JARGON BUSTER  - SCROLL DOWN TO A-Z SEARCH

Third edition of the Jargon Buster  available in hard copy and here as pdf (April 2010)  Does not take account of post-election changes. The online version is updated periodically to take account of these.

There is short Social Care and Housing Jargon Buster  available from IMPRESS too, with thanks to the Long Term Conditions Delivery Support Team.    All the terms are in the A-Z as well.

 Please note that a number of the DH websites, including NHS Evidence, were reviewed post-Election May 2010, and so some links may not work.  If this is the case, please contact us to let us know and we'll correct quickly.

IMPRESS NHS JARGON BUSTER

Introduction

The Jargon Buster A-Z (see below) aims to provide a simple guide to the many  terms in the NHS in England that describe how healthcare and social care will be planned, measured and paid for.  Some of the terms also apply to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.   They highlight the relevance for delivering respiratory care.

We would also highly recommend the Junior Doctors Guide to the NHS.  This is a very helpful guide for all who work in the NHS.    As a guide for junior doctors, we would hope that future editions might also include something on the  building blocks of coding, financial flows and casemix complexity because it is often the junior doctors who take on the responsibility of setting the coding standard from day one of discharge and this is a key responsibility, since it is this coding activity that drives planning.  However, IMPRESS can highly recommend the commentary in our guide to Respiratory Coding to fill this gap.

Before starting the alphabetical glossary you may find it helpful to look at Figure 1 that describes how the various policies contribute to the three main policy aims to:

•    improve patient care, and particularly to reduce inequalities in access to care,
•    improve the patient’s experience of services
•    achieve better value for money. 

Whilst this figure is updated in new Conservative policy, the basic direction remains the same.

A-Z

  
Jargon Buster A-Z

   Filters:  #   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z   All

Deprivation of Liberty

The Mental  Capacity Act (2005) amended by the Mental Health Act 2007 introduced new deprivation of liberty safeguards.  From 1 April 2009 healthcare professionals and managers working in the NHS, independent hospitals and care homes must have clear procedures in place to comply with the new Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) introduced under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).  A code of practice is available here.
The safeguards provide a framework for approving the deprivation of liberty for people who lack the capacity to consent to treatment or care in either a hospital or care home that, in their own best interests, can only be provided in circumstances that amount to a deprivation of liberty.  There is a written application for authorisation  required. The PCT must commission 6 assessments including age, mental health (undertaken by a doctor approved under s12 MHA or has special expertise in mental disorder) , mental capacity, and “best interests” assessments (assessor must have specified qualification including social work).  The assessment must be carried out within 21 days of the application.

 

Dignity

Ensuring that a person receives the type of care that makes them feel respected as an individual and helps them develop or maintain self-esteem and take pride in themselves. This should take place in every setting whether in the community or in the acute sector.

The Dignity in Care Campaign launched in 2006 across health and social care, aims to stimulate a national debate around dignity in care and create a care system where there is zero tolerance of abuse and disrespect of adults.  Key areas are care for older people and people with mental health problems. There are now four thousand dignity champions. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Socialcarereform/Dignityincare/index.htm  and http://www.dhcarenetworks.org.uk/dignityincare/index.cfm

 

Direct Payments (social care)

Direct Payments are means-tested payments made instead of receiving social care. The money received should be enough to meet your care needs. Direct Payments have been available since 1997 and are made to a wide variety of people, including carers, adult service users and people with short-term needs. Direct Payments should not be confused with direct payment; this is the method in which Personal Budgets and Individual Budgets are paid.

 

Directed enhanced service

(DES) click here.

 

Dyspnoea

shortness of breath/distressing breathing. May or may not be associated with a low oxygen level in the blood (hypoxia/hypoxaemia).

Related Words  Hypoxia/hypoxaemia

     
NHS Jargon Buster

The last printed version (please note the online version is more up to date) of the IMPRESS NHS Jargon Buster (pdf) is available to download here

  
Jargon Buster - HTML version
  
IMPRESS is grateful to  its corporate supporters - AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim/Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline who provide grants for this independent programme of study
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