Health - NHS

NHS Jargon is everywhere.  Already, we have discovered 3 classifications of NHS Jargon. One for patients & another for hospitals combined with this NHS jargon directory.

Is that what our tax payers money is spent on? - Simply forming ever more realms of categories, sub categories and acronyms? It simply does feel like it and the NHS jargon is forever expanding into new areas of patient care for example.

I say simply get rid of 50% of the admin staff and let the doctors dictate where the NHS funding is spent rather than on creative NHS jargon.

NHS Jargon

Advisory boards

Being established to ensure the National Programme for IT engages with stakeholders, such as patients, the public, and health and care professionals.

CRDB

Care Record Development Board

The Board will bring together patients and service users, the public, and social and healthcare professionals. It will identify the values, principles and processes of care and ensure that these are taken into account in the implementation of systems in NPfIT.

Choose and Book

Will allow patients, in partnership with health and care professionals, to book first outpatient appointments at the most appropriate date, time and place for the patient.

Cluster

A group of strategic health authorities working together by region to implement the new technology and information systems.

Cluster board

Endorses the reasons for and objectives of the local programme at senior management level and promotes and supports any changes. It also ensures that benefits and desired outcomes are achieved, and sorts out any disagreements that may arise.

Contact

Contact is a secure national email and directory service. It was developed specifically to meet NHS and BMA requirements for clinical email between NHS organisations.

dm+d

Dictionary of Medicines and Devices

The source of terminology and a common health language for medicines and devices used in healthcare.

ECDL

European Computer Driving Licence

A training course in basic IT skills available to all NHS staff to help them prepare for new ways of working and increase confidence in their use of IT. ECDL is an internationally recognised qualification that has been adopted as the NHS standard.

ETP

Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions

Enables GPs/prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to pharmacies.

Enterprise-wide arrangements

Arrangements with key suppliers in the IT industry. Given its size, the National Programme can procure quality IT services from suppliers to the NHS on a greater scale and at a more competitive rate than any single NHS organisation.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

There is a link to NPfIT FAQs on the main menu.

Front Line Support Academy

The Front Line Support Academy provides learning opportunities for staff involved in the implementation of IT in the NHS and social care. The Academy works with staff to change and improve patients' experience of their care.

GMS

General Medical Services

The rules used to manage payments to family doctors as part of the GPs' contract.

Industry Liaison

Industry Liaison provides information and guidance to IT suppliers who would like to be involved in providing products and services to NPfIT. It also supplies information to the National Programme on product innovations and developments in IT.

ISB

Information Standards Board

Established in 2001 to provide an independent mechanism for the approval of information standards in the NHS.

Legacy systems suppliers

These are the commercial companies that supply the current/existing IT systems and software in use in the NHS. Also known as existing systems suppliers.

Local implementation

A NPfIT management group and individual project teams have responsibilities

for implementation in each SHA. They coordinate and manage the progress of the programme by dealing with a variety of issues, including progress monitoring, problem solving, risk management, planning, good practice and allocating resources.

LSPs

Local Service Providers

Responsible for making sure the new systems and services delivered through the NPfIT meet local requirements and are implemented efficiently.

Modernisation Agency

Created as part of the NHS Plan to help local clinicians and managers redesign local services around the needs and convenience of patients.

N3

The National Network

The new fast, broadband communications network for the NHS. N3 is delivered by BT and replaces the existing private NHS network, NHSnet.

NASPs

National Application Service Providers

Groups of commercial suppliers who are contracted to deliver national services such as Choose and Book and the Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions.

National Programme Board

Has overall responsibility for all areas of work within the National Programme for IT.

National Supplier Board

Focuses on development and technology, implementation, service and contract management.

NHS CRS

NHS Care Records Service

Currently under development. This will be an electronic store of over 50 million health and care records which can be accessed by health professionals where and when they are needed. It will also give patients secure Internet access to their own health record.

NHS Plan

The NHS Plan recognises that the NHS has achieved much but needs to keep pace with change to meet patient needs. Increased investment and modernisation are the steps described in the document (published July 2000).

NPfIT

National Programme for IT

Responsible for procurement and delivery of the multi-billion pound investment in new information and technology systems to improve the NHS.

NSFs

National Service Frameworks

NSFs set national standards and service models for a specific service or care group. They set up programmes of implementation and performance management against which progress in an agreed timescale can be measured.

OBS

Output-based specification

Each prospective supplier to the National Programme must meet rigorous technical requirements. These are set out in an output-based specification.

PACS

Picture Archiving and Communication Systems

A system enabling images such as X-rays and scans to be stored and sent electronically so that doctors and other health professionals can access the information with the touch of a button.

PCT

Primary Care Trust

Responsible for commissioning all health care in their community.

Programme management group

Each regional cluster has a programme management group comprising chief information officers and programme managers from each Strategic Health Authority area, plus the Regional Implementation Director and key members of the cluster programme support team. Local Service Provider programme managers and senior representatives are also part of this team.

PPA

Prescription Pricing Authority

A national provider of managed services to the NHS. Its main functions are to calculate and make payments for amounts due to pharmacists and GPs for supplying drugs and appliances prescribed under the NHS. It also produces information for NHS organisations and stakeholders about prescribing volumes, trends and costs and manages a range of health benefits eg the NHS Low Income Scheme

QMAS

Quality Management and Analysis Subsystem

To support the Quality and Outcomes Framework, NPfIT has commissioned British Telecom to develop and implement a new IT system called the Quality Management and Analysis Subsystem. It will provide reporting, forecasting and payment information for improving services within the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

QOF

Quality and Outcomes Framework

As part of a new NHS contract, introduced in 2004, GP practices are rewarded for achieving clinical and management quality targets and for improving services for patients within a Quality and Outcomes Framework.

'Quality and outcomes framework'

Sets out a voluntary system of financial incentives for improving quality within the General Medical Services contract for GP payments.

Regional governance

Regional management frameworks and controls to ensure new systems are introduced and used efficiently at the local level

RIDs

Regional Implementation Directors

Responsible for managing implementation of the new national services across a geographic area.

SAS

Supplier Attachment Scheme

The Supplier Attachment Scheme is a new opportunity for NHS professionals to have a direct influence on the future of healthcare by working in one of a range of roles with a Local Service Provider.

SHAs

Strategic Health Authorities

The headquarters of the local NHS. Their role is to ensure that the Primary Care Trusts are both effective and efficient in managing the delivery of services.

SHA CEs

Strategic Health Authority Chief Executives

The Chief Executives of the Strategic Health Authorities.

SHA CIOs

Strategic Health Authority Chief Information Officers

Responsible for the implementation of the new systems and the delivery of benefits at an organisational level across their SHA area.

Spine

The Spine is the name given to the national database of key information about a patient's health and care and forms the core of the NHS Care Records Service. It will include patient information like NHS number, date of birth, name and address, and clinical information such as allergies, adverse drug reactions and major treatments.

Supplier Liaison

The function of Supplier Liaison is to assist IT suppliers to locate information on the National Programme and to provide contact details for those organisations that have been awarded contracts.

TUPE

Transfer of Undertakings - Protection of Employment

A safeguard of employees' rights where businesses change hands between employers.

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