A
Acute services: these are health services that involve surgery or treatment in a hospital, such as an operation or treatment for cancer.
Anticipatory care: this is when a person receives a health assessment to reduce the risk of them developing a health problem, or to make it less severe if it happens.
Attitudinal: this means to do with people’s attitudes.
B
Baseline: this means the starting point for a measurement.
C
Communication support: this means help to communicate. It can include having an interpreter of British Sign Language or another language, or getting someone to translate information for you. It can also mean having information in a different format or using computer software to read information.
Community Health Partnerships (CHPs): these co-ordinate the local planning, development and provision of better and more efficient health services. They include people from local authorities, the voluntary sector, and other organisations. They are Edinburgh CHP, East Lothian CHP, Midlothian CHP, West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership (CHCP)
D
Disabled person: this includes people who are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. It also includes disabled children and young people, as well as other people who are disabled due to society’s barriers.
E
EQIA: EQIA stands for Equality Impact Assessment. This is where a group of people work out how a plan or a policy will affect certain groups of people. If any group is likely to be disadvantaged by the plan or policy, changes can be made to reduce or eliminate the negative impact.
Ethnic minority: a culturally distinct group which is smaller than the majority group. This includes people from different races or cultures who are not white Scottish. It does not just mean people who are Black or Asian.
Ethnicity: this is where a group of people share traditions or culture. It can mean people from a particular race but many races have a range of cultures.
F
Framework: this is like a strategy or a plan.
G
Gender: this is when people define themselves as either male or female.
GIRFEC: Getting It Right For Every Child, a national plan to improve the safety and health of children in Scotland. It puts the needs of children and young people first.
H
HEAT targets: these are targets set by the Scottish Government that the NHS has to meet. There are targets to improve the health of disadvantaged people, to improve efficiency, to improve access to services and to reduce waiting times..
I
Impact assessment: this is a way of working out what impact a policy or a plan will have on different people so that any adverse effects can be dealt with before they happen. Adverse means something that is not good.
Indicators: these are ways of measuring how well something is working.
Interpreting: an interpreter changes information from one language into another while you are listening and talking with another person. This might be because you do not speak the other person’s language very well, or if one of you uses sign language.
ISD: the Information and Statistics Division is part of the NHS National Services Scotland. Health service activity, workforce and finance data are collected, interpreted and disseminated by the division.
ITS: City of Edinburgh Council’s Interpreting & Translation Service, jointly funded by NHS Lothian. It is used to arrange interpreters in community languages and British Sign Language. It also translates documents into other languages, Braille or large print.
L
LGBT: this is short for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.
M
MEHIS: NHS Lothian's Minority Ethnic Health Improvement Service.
Mentoring scheme: this is a way of supporting people so that they gain confidence and skills.
Minority ethnic: this is the same as ethnic minority.
N
NHS Lothian: this is the unified board of NHS Lothian consisting of the University Hospitals Division, the Community Health (and Care) Partnerships, Royal Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals (REAS) and the Board.
O
Optometry: this is a health service for people’s eyes, for example giving sight tests and providing glasses.
Outcomes: these are end results.
P
Participation: this means taking part. For example it can mean being more visible in public or having your voice heard.
PEAT: the Patient Experience Action Team in NHS Lothian assesses the hospital wards (e.g. for dignity and respect, healthcare infection, confidentiality). Reports are sent to the ward, which then must produce an action plan to make improvements.
Peer support network: this is a group of people supporting each other.
POVA: Protection of Vulnerable Adults.
Primary care: these are the health services you receive in your community, such as your family doctor or GP, or a District Nurse.
Public sector: this is the Government, the National Health Service, councils, the police, schools, universities and other organisations that deliver public services.
Q
Quality Improvement Teams (QITs): QITs and their programmes (QIPs) are key to delivering and monitoring all aspects of quality throughout NHS Lothian services to ensure person-centred, safe and effective care.
R
REAS: Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services.
S
SMART: South East Mobility and Rehabilitation Technology Services located at Astley Ainslie Hospital (includes services for wheelchairs and special seating, prosthetics, and bioengineering services (artificial limbs and special equipment).
Sectarianism: this is when people of one religion are discriminated against by people from another religion.
Sex: people are given a sex at birth depending on what genitals they have.
Sexual orientation: everyone has a sexual orientation. You might be lesbian, gay, straight or bisexual.
Staff side organisations: for example, trade unions.
T
Translation: this is when the contents of a document are changed into another language.
Transgender: this word is used to describe all people who do not conform to common ideas of gender roles, including transsexuals.
Transsexual: this word is used to describe people who are born into the wrong physical sex – they do not need to have had an operation, or be planning to have an operation, to be this.
Transition age: this is the age at which young people move from children’s services to adult services. It is often agreed to be between the ages of 13 and 19.
U
UHD: stands for University Hospitals Division. This includes the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, St John’s Hospital, Western General Hospital, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Liberton Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital.
W
Workforce: people employed by an organisation.