Glossary
Accident and emergency
Hospital departments that assess and treat people with serious injuries and those in need of emergency treatment.
Acute care
Specific care for diseases or illnesses that progress quickly, feature severe symptoms and have a brief duration.
Acute trust
An NHS body that provides secondary care or hospital based healthcare services from one or more hospitals.
AfC
See Agenda for Change.
Agenda for Change
The NHS system of pay that is linked to the job content, and the skills and knowledge staff apply to perform jobs.
Allied Health Professions (AHPs)
AHPs are 11 professional groups regulated by the Health professions council. AHPs carry their own caseloads and work as autonomous professionals and share a therapeutic focus on enabling patients to maximise their independence
Allied Health Professions (AHP) Career Framework Tools
A collection of resources – developed by Skills for Health in partnership with the Allied Health Professions from the four UK nations – which organisations can use to plan a flexible workforce and individuals can use to plan their personal development.
Ambassadors
These are healthcare staff who help to give people a better idea of the breadth and variety of career opportunities in the healthcare workforce. They often work in partnership with schools and colleges, and act as ‘champions’ for the healthcare profession.
Ambulance trusts
Ambulance trusts provide emergency access to health care.
APeL
Accreditation of prior experience and learning.
Apprenticeships
A structured programme of training and workplace learning which leads to a formal set of qualifications. Apprenticeships can be healthcare specific or may cover generic skills which are used in the sector such as occupational health and safety, business and administration, supply chain management, cleaning management and accounting.
AVCE
Advanced Vocational Certificate in Education.
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BMA (British Medical Association) Professional association that represents UK doctors and acts as an independent trade union, scientific and educational body, and publisher.
Care home
A residential home that provides accommodation with nursing and personal care.
Care package
Following an assessment, a care package is agreed to enable a patient to receive care appropriate to their needs. Where necessary this covers both NHS and social care.
Care plans
Written agreements setting out how care will be provided within the resources available for people with complex needs.
Care pathway
A pre-determined plan of care for patients with a specific condition.
Care programme approach (CPA)
The process mental health service providers use to coordinate care for mental health patients.
Care services
Services that ensure the well being of the most vulnerable people in society.
Care trusts
Organisations working in both health and social care offering either social care, mental health services or primary care services.
Care worker
Paid workers that support people with everyday tasks who may be elderly, ill, have physical or learning disabilities, or emotional or social problems.
Career Framework (CF) The Career Framework provides a guide for NHS and partner organisations in implementing a flexible career. It enables an individual member of staff with transferable, competence based skills to progress in a direction that meets workforce, service and individual needs.
Careers IAG
Careers information, advice and guidance enables individuals to explore choices and make effective decisions about their learning, work or career options.
Careers Modernisation
The modernisation of historic skills development routes to match current and future healthcare demands.
Career Pathway
A route available to individuals to enable career progression.
Carer
Person who provides a substantial amount of care on a regular basis, and is not employed to do so by an agency or organisation. Carers are usually friends or relatives looking after someone at home who is elderly, ill or disabled
CHD (Coronary heart disease)
Preventable disease of the heart that is still the biggest killer of people in the UK.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
The Government's principal medical adviser and the professional head of all medical staff in England.
Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
Responsible for delivering the Government's strategy for nursing, and leading all of England's nurses, midwives, health visitors, and allied health professionals.
Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO)
The professional lead within DH on the carrying out of the Government’s Pharmacy in the Future programme.
Chief Professional Officers
Leading figures in an area of health and social care that provide the Department with expert knowledge about their disciplines.
Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)
Responsible for building the capacity and development of the healthcare science workforce.
Children’s centres
Local facilities designed to help families with young children.
Children’s trusts
Trusts that identify what needs to be improved in a local area for children and young people, and then plan services around those needs.
Choice
System that gives patients more choice about where and when they receive surgery and other NHS services.
Choose and Book
System that allows patients to make their first outpatient appointment, at a time, date and place that suits them.
Choosing Health
2004 White Paper that set out how the Government will support the public to make more informed choices about their health.
Chronic
Term used to describe a disease, condition or health problem which persists over a long period of time. The illness may recur frequently and in some cases may lead to partial or permanent disabilities. Examples include arthritis, diabetes and hypertension.
Clinical governance
The system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care.
Clinical network
Health professionals from different NHS organisations working together across institutional and local boundaries to provide care for a particular disease or patient group.
Community care
Care provided by social services departments and the NHS to assist people in their day to day living.
Community health services
Local services provided outside a hospital. Many community staff are attached to GP practices and to health centres.
Community hospitals
Local hospitals serving populations of less than 100,000 that provide a range of clinical services.
Community matrons
Case managers with advanced clinical skills and expertise in dealing with patients with complex long term conditions and high intensity needs.
Competence Application Tools
Competence Application Tools give organisations and individuals step by step assistance in utilising competences according to their specific needs.
Competences
A competence describes the performance criteria, knowledge and understanding needed for an individual to carry out a work function effectively.
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Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) – England The government department in England responsible for all issues affecting children and young people up to the age of 19 – including child protection and education. Department of Education – Northern IrelandA local government department responsible for the central administration of all aspects of education and related services in Northern Ireland – with the exception of the higher and further education sector, responsibility for which is within the remit of the Department for Employment and Learning. Department for Employment and Learning – Northern Ireland
A government department in Northern Ireland aiming to promote learning and skills, to prepare people for work and support the economy. Department of Health (DH) – England
The government department in England providing health and social care policy, guidance and publications for NHS and social care professionals.
Department for Health and Social Services – Wales
A government department responsible for advising the Welsh Assembly Government in setting policies and strategies for health and social care in Wales.
Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety – Northern Ireland
A government department in Northern Ireland with responsibility for: Health and Social Care, which includes policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services and community health and personal social services; Public Health, which covers policy, legislation and administrative action to promote and protect the health and well-being of the population; and Public Safety, which covers policy and legislation for fire and rescue services.
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) – England
The government department in England responsible for adult learning, further and higher education, skills, science and innovation.
Diploma in Society Health and Development
The Diploma in SHD is an employer led qualification designed to give young people a taste of what it might be like to work in the children’s services, health, community justice, and adult social care sectors.
DirectGov
Website that provides information on national and local government services, including education and learning, travel and transport, and health and well being.
District General Hospital (DGH)
Hospital providing a full range of secondary and acute services to a local population.
Domiciliary care
Homecare that helps people cope with disability or illness, and allows them to maintain independence.
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Education and Lifelong Learning Directorates – Scotland A group of the civil service directorates in the Scottish Government. The Directorates are entitled Children, Young People and Social Care; Schools; and Lifelong Learning. They are responsible for education in Scotland; social work care for children and young people, and lifelong learning.
Elective care
Care provided at a planned or prearranged time rather than in response to an emergency.
Emergency planning
The contingency plans and advice required to prepare for specific types of disasters and attacks.
Employability
Employability covers the skills needed to function in the workplace
Employability Matrix
An Employability Skills Matrix has been developed by Skills for Health for the health sector. Aligned to the Career Framework for Health, it defines the employability skills needed to enter the health sector, sustain employment and aid progression.
EQuIP (Enhancing Quality in Partnership)
A partnership based Quality Assurance Framework that has been developed by Skills for Health to support the quality assurance of NHS funded education.
European working time directive
As part of the Working Time Regulations, the Directive states that by 2009, training doctors will by law not be expected to work more than 48 hours a week.
Extended role
Continue to work within the parameters of an existing role. Extended roles have additional or new duties, tasks or competency requirements. These roles may require broader or deeper knowledge, skills and understanding “Health care support workers provide a direct service to patients and clients in a variety of care settings. They should undertake a range of delegated duties under the supervision of a registered practitioner or band 4 assistant practitioner subject to the issues of regulation being resolved. Band 4 assistant practitioners are staff who, through appropriate accredited education and training, deliver protocol based care as delegated by a registered practitioner. They should make decisions and instigate treatment in accordance with the agreed protocols and work within the skills and competencies framework of an Agenda for Change band 4 post (as detailed within the KSF outline).
Extending participation
The UK-wide terminology adopted by Skills for Health for promoting, championing and facilitating improved access to learning that results in better access to employment, ongoing development, and an increase in opportunities, progression and motivation.
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Foundation trusts
NHS hospitals that are run as independent, public benefit corporations, which are both controlled and run locally.
Framework
Long term strategies for improving specific areas of care. They set measurable goals within set time frames.
Function Mapping
Mapping specific functions to activities in order to indentify relevant competences.
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General Medical Council (GMC)
The statutory body responsible for licensing doctors to practise medicine in the UK.
General Medical Services contract (GMS)
Contract that is the mechanism for providing funding to individual GP practices. It has two elements of funding - a basic payment for every practice, and further payments for specified quality measures and outcomes.
General Social Care Council (GSCC)
Council that promotes high standards of conduct, practice and training for social workers
GP (General practioner)
A doctor who is qualified to treat a broad range of patients with varying medical problems.
GPwSI (General Practitioners with Special Interests)
GPs that supplement their generalist role by delivering a clinical service beyond the normal scope of general practice. See also Practitioners with Special Interests (PwSI).
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Health Commission Wales Health Commission Wales is responsible for planning and funding highly specialised services for the people of Wales. Health Functional MapA structured map of functions undertaken across the entire health sector linked to relevant competences.
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line (HLSAL)
A telephone based service providing careers information, advice and guidance to support people who already work in the healthcare sector, or are considering a career in healthcare.
Health Professions Council
The Council maintains registers of staff groups who were not previously subject to statutory regulation, and officially records new and hybrid roles.
Health Sector Strategic Alliance (HSSA)
An alliance made up of members of Strategic Health Authorities, the Learning and Skills Council, Skills for Health and other healthcare employers and partners. The HSSA monitors and reviews the Joint Investment Framework – ensuring that it supports a sustainable joint action agenda that encompasses key workforce priorities and strategic policy direction across the healthcare sector in England.
Health trainers
NHS accredited staff who help local people to make health and lifestyle changes.
Health visitor
A health professional working in the community, often responsible for prevention, health advice and promotion and community health development.
Health Workforce Directorate – Scotland
The Health Workforce Directorate aims to protect, promote and improve the health, quality of life and wellbeing of people in Scotland by working with NHSScotland to build a world class workforce for NHS Scotland.
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Independent sector
An umbrella term for all non NHS bodies delivering health care, which includes a range of private companies and voluntary organisations.
Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs)
Private sector treatment centres that offer pre booked day and short stay surgery, and diagnostic procedures.
Integrated care
NHS and local authority health responsibilities are managed together so that care trusts can offer a more efficient and better integrated service
ISTC (Independent Sector Treatment Centre) Programme
Part of a major initiative to create additional capacity within the NHS to reduce waiting times and introduce choice for patients.
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Joint Investment Framework (JIF) A three year rolling matched funding agreement brokered by Skills for Health in 2007 between the Learning and Skills Council and the Strategic Health Authorities in England. The JIF brings £100 million per annum of additional funding to support training and qualifications at NHS Bands 1 to 4 and qualification levels 1 to 4.
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Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) defines and describes the knowledge and skills which NHS staff need to apply in their work in order to deliver quality services.
KSF Gateways
The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework applies to all jobs covered by Agenda for Change. Gateways are points on a pay band where assessment of the application of knowledge and skills necessary to progress will be made. There are two gateway points: the foundation gateway and the second gateway.
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Labour market information/intelligence (LMI) Labour Market Information is the term used to describe research, data and other intelligence about the skills, knowledge and competences of existing staff and of potential staff within the wider ‘labour pool’. It aims to provide an understanding of skills in relation to recruitment, employment, and the education and training environment. Once this information has been interpreted it can provide invaluable information about trends that need to be addressed in succession planning for the future workforce. This interpreted Labour Market Information - which outlines trends and depicts changes over time/applied to a new context – becomes Labour Market Intelligence.
Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
A non-departmental public body with a goal to improve the skills of young people and adults across all industries to ensure that England has a world class workforce.
Learning Design Principles
Learning Design Principles are guiding statements for those involved with designing healthcare qualifications. They aim to ensure that future awards and qualifications created for the healthcare sector provide flexibility, transferability, progression routes and an overall ‘fitness for purpose’, leading to better recognition of learning across the health sector.
Learning disabilities
Disabilities that reduce a person's ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and cope independently.
Learning Pathway (education pathway)
A route available to a learner enabling the progressive development of skills and knowledge.
Level 3 qualification
Level 3 qualifications are equivalent to A levels. They can be taken at any age, and can be general, vocational or occupational qualifications. Typical qualifications include A levels or NVQs.
Literacy, Language and Numeracy (LLN)
Key employability skills that underpin all others and are central to unlocking the full potential of the healthcare workforce at all levels.
Long term conditions
Conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and arthritis that cannot currently be cured, but whose progress can be managed and influenced by medication and other therapies.
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Modern Apprenticeships See Apprenticeships. Modern Apprenticeships were renamed Apprenticeships in 2004.
Mental health trusts
Trusts that provide specialist mental health services in hospitals and local communities.
Methodologies
Following extensive consultation with employers and partners across the healthcare sector, Skills for Health has defined recommended approaches, agreed processes, and ways of thinking to help employers structure the planning and shaping of their workforce needs. An example of this is the Skills for Health Learning Design Principles.
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National Occupational Standards (NOS) Developed with employers, National Occupational Standards (NOS) are the building blocks of vocational and other qualifications. They specify the standards of performance and the knowledge and skills required to perform specific functions to a nationally recognised level of competence. They can aslo be used outside of qualifications for example to support NHS KSF post outlines.
National service frameworks (NSFs)
Long term strategies for improving specific areas of care.
National Vocational Qualification/Scottish Vocational Qualification (NVQ/SVQ)
National Occupational Standards are used to create NVQs and SVQs. These are qualifications that formally recognise the skills and knowledge that individuals actually use in their jobs and are work based in delivery and assessment.
National Workforce Competences
See National Occupational Standards.
New Role
Refers to an entirely new role which creates a new type of worker. In some instances this will correspond with the development of a new service.
New Ways of Working (NWW)
NWW is about changing the practice of the current workforce; developing extended roles beyond the scope of current professional practice and bringing in new people to the workforce in new roles, at assistant and practitioner levels. There is no single model for NWW; it is simply about making the best use of the skills in the workforce to meet need in a cost effective way.
NHS Plan
A government plan for the NHS that set out a 10 year programme of investment and reform.
NHS Trusts
Hospitals, community health services, mental health services and ambulance services that are managed by their own boards of directors. NHS trusts provide services on the requirements of patients as represented by primary care trusts.
Nurse prescribing
Qualified nurse independent prescribers are now able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence.
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Our health, our care, our say
White Paper that set out a vision to provide people with good quality social care and NHS services in the communities where they live.
Our NHS, Our Future
A wide ranging review of the NHS launched in 2007, and led by the health minister Lord Darzi. Health and social care professionals and the public are encouraged to take part.
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PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Services)
Services that provide information, advice and support to help patients, families and their carers.
Patient Pathway The route that a patient will take from their first contact with a member of staff (usually through their GP) through referral to the completion of their treatment.
Personal Development Review
A personal development review is based on looking at how you have applied your knowledge and skills and developed to meet the demands of your post. In the NHS, this may be against the KSF. Other health organisations have similar processes, often known as an appraisal. In Scotland, you would have a PDP – Practice Development Plan.
Personal Medical Services contracts (PMS)
One of the types of contracts primary care trusts (PCTs) can have with primary care providers. This contract is locally negotiated with practices.
Practitioners with special interests (PwS)
A PwSI specialises in a particular type of care in addition to their normal role.
Primary care
The collective term for all services which are people’s first point of contact with the NHS, eg GPs, dentists.
Primary care trusts (PCTs)
NHS bodies with responsibility for delivering health care services and health improvements to their local areas.
Public health
Public health is concerned with improving the health of the population rather than treating the diseases of individual patients Back to top
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) A simple, flexible and accessible framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
QCA (define)
QCA maintains and develops the national curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits and monitors qualifications in colleges and at work. It regulates the public examination system, so that it is responsive to the needs of learners and society and is responsible for the development, delivery and administration of high-quality national tests. It also develops the national curriculum, which defines the knowledge, understanding and skills to which children and young people are entitled. They keep it under review, to evaluate its appropriateness and relevance to the changing needs of learners and society. Their national qualifications framework enables them to accredit qualifications at appropriate levels to meet the needs of employers and learners. They fund occupational standards, support learning at work and regularly review the suitability and availability of qualifications, to ensure that the needs of learners, employers and the economy are met. They oversee the work of the awarding bodies, to ensure that their administration, marking and awarding procedures run smoothly.
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Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
The world's largest professional union of nurses. The RCN campaigns on behalf of the profession and helps to develop nursing practice and standards of care.
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S/NVQ
Scottish and National Vocational Qualifications (S/NVQ) are unitised, flexible qualifications which are developed to meet patient/client, individual, professional and organisational needs. Due to their vocational nature, candidates are assessed on their ability to perform and demonstrate competence in the workplace.
Secondary care
The collective term for services to which a patient is referred to by a consultant. Usually this refers to NHS hospitals in the NHS offering specialised medical services and care.
Sector Qualification Strategy (SQS)
A major, demand-led initiative, which outlines the future direction of learning and qualifications for the healthcare sector.
Sector Skills Agreement (SSA)
A series of employer driven agreements which identify the actions required to support the provision of best quality healthcare and services through the skills of those working in the sector. Individual SSAs have been developed for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In addition to the overarching SSA for England, agreements for each of the nine English regions are either already in existence or currently under development.
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, employer-led, UK wide organisations designed to build a skills system that is driven by employer demand. There are currently 25 SSCs covering over 90% of the economy.
Service users
Anyone who uses, requests, applies for or benefits from health or local authority services.
Skills Academy for Health (SAfH)
The Skills Academy for Health works across England to champion, apply and support the delivery of learning and development activities for the healthcare sector. Its primary focus is career framework Levels 1 to 4 – using qualifications/training programmes that are based on national workforce competences and other workforce solutions articulated via the Sector Skills Agreement for Health. The Skills Academy for Health is part of Skills for Health.
Skills Development Scotland
Scotland's skills body, which brings together four partner organisations with a shared vision to drive forward real, positive and sustained change in Scotland's skills performance.
Skills Escalation
A ‘step on, step off’ approach to a workforce development strategy that links lifelong learning, recruitment and retention, pay modernisation, role redevelopment and career management and offers a variety of entry points, career pathways and training.
Skills for Care
Initiative that helps to strategically develop the social care workforce, by supporting employers to improve standards of care through training and development, and workforce planning.
Skills for Health
Initiative that helps to create a skilled and flexible healthcare workforce.
Skills Pledge
A voluntary commitment by employers to invest in the training and development of their employees.
Stakeholders
DH has a wide range of stakeholders that all share an interest in its work, including patients and the public, local and regional NHS organisations, local authorities and social care providers, charities, and the voluntary and community sector
Standards
Broad statements describing the total outputs achieved by meeting specified criteria for the purpose of the quality assurance process.
Standards Quality Assurance (SQA)
The Quality Assurance Framework for Healthcare Education in England (see EQuIP)
Strategic health authority (SHA)
The local headquarters of the NHS, responsible for ensuring that national priorities are integrated into local plans, and that primary care trusts (PCTs) are performing well.
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The Skills Pledge
A voluntary commitment from employers to support all their employees to develop their basic skills. This includes literacy and numeracy and working towards recognised qualifications to at least level 2 (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs).
Tools
Skills for Health offers a variety of tools to help employers, teams and individuals to define, map and develop their skills. These currently include: a selection of labour market information tools; a range of workforce planning tools; and a set of competence application tools incorporating a competence search tool; a self assessment tool; a team assessment tool; a Career Framework tool; the Health Functional Map and the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework mapping tool.
Train to Gain (T2G)
A service designed to help employers of all types and sizes get the training they need to succeed. Managed by the Learning and Skills Council across England, Train to Gain uses experienced Skills Brokers who work closely with individual employers to identify their skills and business needs; pinpoint the right training; agree a tailored training package; identify available funding and review progress.
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UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) A non-departmental public body that provides independent advice to the four UK governments – helping to achieve improvements through strategic policy development, evidence-based analysis, and the exchange of good practice. As well as providing greater employer influence over the UK’s employment and skills systems, the UK Commission is also responsible for managing the performance of Sector Skills Councils and advising ministers on their relicensing.
ULR
This is an acronym for union learning representative: a representative whose role is promoting, brokering and helping to support the delivery of learning at the workplace.
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Voluntary and community sector
Groups set up for public or community benefit such as registered charities, and non charitable non profit organisations and associations.
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Waiting booking choice
System that provides the opportunity of faster treatment for the longest waiting patients. The system is also designed to help prepare for choice of four to five providers at the point of GP referral.
Walk in centres
Centres staffed by nurses that offer patients fast and convenient access to treatment and information without an appointment.
White Paper
Documents produced by the Government that set out details of future policy on a particular subject.
Widening Participation Widening Participation is the descriptor for the programme of activity taking place in England to address the Extending Participation agenda (see Extending Participation).
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Young Apprenticeship A vocational programme for 14 – 16 year olds available in England, which allows young people to integrate an industry-specific vocational qualification into their academic study. The key features of the programme are the 50 days real work experience across health, social care and early years’ sectors.
Your health, your care, your say
Public listening exercise that asked people what their priorities were for future health and social care services.
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Glossary
