Glossary of terms
| Term | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) | APMS contracts enable PCTs to contract/commission with a wide range of organisations to provide primary medical services, eg, private providers. |
| Chief Medical Officer (CMO) | The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the UK Government's principal medical adviser and the professional head of all medical staff in England. |
| Deanery | This organisation is responsible for commissioning, developing and supporting post-graduate medical and dental education. |
| Department of Health (DH/DoH) | The Department of Health’s work includes setting national standards, shaping the direction of health and social care services and promoting healthier living. |
| Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) | An Act designed to make provision for the disclosure of information, where suitable, held by public authorities or by persons providing services for them. |
| General Medical Services (GMS) contract | Contract 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. |
| Local Medical Committee (LMC) | An LMC is the statutory body recognised by successive NHS Acts as the professional organisation representing GPs and their practice teams to the health authority, including PCTs and Trusts. Each LMC is elected and chaired by practising GPs. An LMC provides leadership, advice and support for GPs and their practice teams in the LMC area and in dealings with their Primary Care Trust on issues of local interest to general practice. |
| Londonwide Enterprise Ltd (LEL) | LEL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Londonwide LMCs Ltd. LEL is a new organisation created and run by GPs for GPs and practice teams in response to demand by practices for additional advice and support. |
| Londonwide LMCs (LLMCs/LwLMCs) | Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited and is the professional voice for all NHS GPs and practice teams across the capital. LLMCs currently supports 26 LMCs across London, providing representation, guidance and support to GPs and their practice teams in these areas. |
| Mentor | This term can be used to mean either:
|
| New General Medical Services (nGMS) | Nationally negotiated contract for GPs agreed in 2003 entitled “Investing in General Practice”. |
| NHS London | NHS London is the Strategic Health Authority for London. It is one of the ten strategic health authorities established on 1 July 2006, to lead the local NHS areas identified as a result of "Commissioning a Patient-led NHS". NHS London manages the performance of 31 primary care trusts (PCTs), 24 acute trusts, 4 mental health trusts and the London Ambulance Service. The 13 foundation trusts (comprising of 7 acute foundation trusts and 6 mental health foundation trusts) in London have greater freedom to manage their own affairs and improve services. |
| Patient Group Direction (PGD) | A PGD that is signed by a doctor and agreed by a pharmacist, can act as a direction to a nurse to supply and/or administer prescription-only medicines (POMs) to patients using their own assessment of patient need, without necessarily referring back to a doctor for an individual prescription. Usually used in general practice for the administration of vaccines and oral contraceptives. |
| Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) | Practice based commissioning (PBC) is about practices taking on delegated indicative budgets to become more involved in commissioning decisions. Since April 2005 practices have been able to receive an indicative budget, which they can use to commission both hospital and community services. |
| Preceptorship | The process through which existing nurses and midwives provide support to newly qualified nurses and midwives. |
| Primary Care Trust (PCT) | A Primary Care Trust (PCT) is the NHS body responsible for health services in its local area. The three main functions of a Primary Care Trust are:
PCTs covering all parts of England receive budgets directly from the DH. Since April 2002, PCTs have taken control of local health care while strategic Health Authorities monitor performance and standards. |
| Primary Care Trust Medical Services (PCTMS) | PCTMS enables PCTs to directly employ health care professionals to provide primary medical services. This gives PCTs the opportunity, for example, to provide primary medical services themselves or employ salaried staff to deliver services. |
| Personal Medical Services (PMS) | PMS is a locally-agreed alternative to General Medical Service (GMS) for providers of general practice. The defining feature of PMS agreements is their local nature. Unlike GMS contracts, they are negotiated between the primary care organisation (PCO) and the practice, and are not subject to direct national negotiations between the DH and the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA. |
| Specialist Personal Medical Services (SPMS) | SPMS is a flexibility within PMS that offers a key contracting difference from other primary care commissioning, as the patients do not have to be registered with the provider to receive specialist care. |
Topics covered
- Unit 1 - Finding your feet in general practice
- Unit 2 - General treatment room skills
- Unit 3 - Emergency situations
- Unit 4 - Immunisation and vaccination
- Unit 5 - Long-term conditions
- Unit 6 - Sexual health
- Unit 7 - Mental health
- Unit 8 - Career development
- Glossary of terms
- View available workshops and book to attend