Glossary of health and care terms May 2021 This glossary provides a summary of organisations and general terms used within the health and care sector in Wales. The glossary provides some of the most common words and phrases used. 0 - 9 Acute Medical Unit (AMU) 111 An AMU is the first point of entry for patients referred to hospital as The NHS Wales 111 service is a free- emergencies by their GP and those to-call, non-emergency medical requiring admission from the helpline, available 24 hours a day, to Emergency Department. be used for health information, advice and access to urgent care. The service is currently operational in the Aneurin Add to Your Life Bevan University Health Board (UHB), Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, Hywel Dda ‘Add to Your Life’ is an online health- UHB, Powys Teaching Health Board check, which provides assessment (THB) and Swansea Bay UHB areas. It and community-based support to is anticipated that 111 will be rolled out enable over 50s in Wales to assess across Wales by the end of 2021. and improve their own health. A Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act 2018 A Regional Collaboration for Health (ALNET) (ARCH) The ALNET Act 2018 establishes a ARCH is a regional partnership made statutory framework for supporting up of Swansea University, Swansea children and young people with Bay UHB and Hywel Dda UHB. The additional learning needs (ALN) from ARCH partners work to improve the birth; whilst they are in school; and, if health, wealth and wellbeing of the they are over compulsory school age, people of South West Wales. while they are in further education. The Act, and the new framework it creates, replaces the separate legislation and Acute Care arrangements in Wales for special educational needs (SEN) up to age 16 Acute care refers to the medical and and Learning Difficulties and/or surgical treatment provided by a Disabilities (LDD) post-16. hospital. 1 Admission Rates Agenda for Change (AfC) Admission rates are the number of AfC is the current grading and pay cases of a specific illness or disease system for all NHS staff, with the that are treated in hospitals, relative to exception of doctors, dentists and the population of a geographical area. some senior managers. Advance Care Planning All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) Advance care planning is a voluntary process of discussion about future The AWMSG was established in 2002. care between an individual and their The group’s main function is to advise care providers, irrespective of the Welsh Government on future discipline. It is recommended, with the developments in healthcare and to individual’s agreement, that this assist in its strategic planning. The discussion is documented, regularly Group also advises the Welsh reviewed, updated, and communicated Government on the development and to key people involved in their care. implementation of a prescribing strategy for Wales and develops timely, independent and authoritative Advance Decision advice on new medicines. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 gives people in England and Wales a Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) statutory right to refuse treatment, through an ‘advance decision’. An AHPs is an umbrella term for advance decision allows a person to therapists, chiropodists, dietitians, state what forms of treatment they occupational therapists, orthoptists, would or would not like should they paramedics, physiotherapists, become unable to decide for prosthetists, psychologists, themselves in the future. It is a binding psychotherapists, radiographers, and decision. speech and language therapists among others. Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) Annual Quality Statement (AQS) The ANP’s role includes assessing the patient, making differential diagnosis All Health Boards and NHS Trusts and ordering relevant investigations, publish an AQS, which is first and providing treatment (including foremost for public information prescribing) and admitting/discharging purposes. It provides an opportunity patients. for the organisation to let its local population know how it is doing to ensure all its services are meeting Advocacy local need and reaching high standards. An AQS is also published Advocacy supports and enables by NHS Wales. people who have difficulty representing their interests to exercise their rights, express their views and make informed choices about their care. 2 Arts for health and wellbeing Atlas of Variation Arts for health and wellbeing refers to An atlas of variation is a tool used to the growing body of evidence that identify where opportunities to address highlights the positive impacts that unwarranted variation exist by engagement with the arts can have on revealing the possible over-use and a person’s physical and mental under-use of different aspects of wellbeing. Examples include music, healthcare. dance, visual arts and writing groups in a variety of settings. Audit Wales Asymptomatic Audit Wales is the trademark of two legal entities: the Auditor General for Showing no symptoms of disease. A Wales and the Wales Audit Office. person infected with a virus can be Each has its own particular powers asymptomatic because they are in an and duties: The Auditor General audits early stage of infection and symptoms and reports on Welsh public bodies. have not yet developed (“pre- The Wales Audit Office provides staff symptomatic”), or they may not and other resources for the Auditor develop any symptoms at all during General’s work, and monitors and their infection. advises the Auditor General. Audit Wales’ aim is to ensure that public money is being managed wisely and Assistive Technology and Telecare that public bodies in Wales understand how to improve outcomes. Assistive technology and telecare refers to any product or service designed to enable patients to achieve greater independence and enhance their quality of life. The devices can B include a combination of alarms, door Board Members entry systems, community alarms, personal communication equipment, The Board is the corporate, decision- walking aids, sensors and other making body of an NHS organisation. equipment placed in a person’s home. Its role is to set the strategic direction; establish and uphold the governance and accountability framework, Association of Directors of Social including the values and standards of Services (ADSS) Cymru behaviour; and to ensure delivery of its aims and objectives through effective As the national leadership organisation challenge and scrutiny of performance for social services in Wales, the role of across all areas of activity. ADSS Cymru is to represent the Membership of the Board includes the collective, authoritative voice of Chair, Vice Chair, officer members Directors of Social Services, Heads of (known as Executive Directors), non- Adult Services, Children’s Services officer members (collectively with the and Business Services, along with Chair and Vice Chair known as professionals who support vulnerable Independent Members) and Associate children, adults and their families. (non-voting) members. 3 Board Secretary Care Pathway As part of the NHS reforms in 2009, To improve the person-centred nature Health Boards and NHS Trusts are of care, commissioners and service required to have Board Secretaries. planners try to understand how The Board Secretary acts as the patients experience their care from guardian of good governance. The role prevention to diagnosis and includes providing advice to the Board assessment, to treatment and where on all aspects of governance; appropriate, to palliative care. This facilitating the effective conduct of normally involves mapping the journey Health Board business through its and the experience using a range of meetings, advisory groups and techniques with patients, clinicians, committees; ensuring Board members and managers. This journey is have the right information to enable described as a care pathway. Service them to make informed decisions and planners aim to improve the flow of monitor the organisation’s compliance patients along this pathway by with the law, Standing Orders and the reducing inefficiencies and improving governance and accountability reliability. framework set by the Welsh Government. Care Plans (social care / long term conditions) C Care plans bring together all the information about the individual into a Caldicott Guardians single, overarching care plan produced by health and social services. This can A Caldicott Guardian is a senior be a written document or an electronic person responsible for protecting the one (e.g. as an electronic care plan or confidentiality of patient and service- recorded in the patient’s notes), and is user information and enabling accessible to the patient and all carers, appropriate information-sharing. The including emergency / urgent care Guardian plays a key role in ensuring services. Care plans should focus on that the NHS, councils with social the aspirations of the patient. services responsibilities and partner organisations comply with the highest practicable standards for handling patient information. Care Worker / Care Support Worker A care worker, or care support worker, is someone who works with carers or Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) those with care needs. CIW is the regulator for social care and social services in Wales, from child minders and nurseries to homes for Carer older people. It is responsible for A carer is anyone who cares for a inspecting social care and social friend or family member who, due to services to ensure they are safe for the illness, disability,