NHS jargon, in plain English
The NHS terms you'll meet on a waiting list, explained simply.
Care transfer
Moving your treatment from one hospital to another while keeping your existing place in the queue, so you do not start again from the back.
Consultant
A senior hospital doctor who is a specialist in one area, such as orthopaedics or ENT. Being referred to a consultant means being sent to see one of these specialists.
CQC (Care Quality Commission)
The independent regulator that inspects and rates NHS and private healthcare providers in England.
Day case
A procedure, often minor surgery, where you come in and go home the same day but are still admitted for it.
Diagnostic
A test used to find out what is wrong, such as an MRI, X-ray, ultrasound or blood test.
DM01
The NHS dataset that records how long people wait for diagnostic tests such as scans. We use it for scan waiting times.
Elective
Planned treatment that is scheduled in advance, rather than emergency care. Most waiting-list treatment is elective.
Escalate
To formally push for action on a delay, usually by contacting PALS or your ICB when a wait becomes unreasonable.
GP (General Practitioner)
Your local family doctor, usually your first point of contact and the person who refers you into hospital care.
ICB (Integrated Care Board)
The local NHS body responsible for planning and funding care in your area. If you wait past 18 weeks, they have a duty to help you find a faster provider.
Imaging
Scans that let doctors see inside your body, such as MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound.
Incomplete pathway
An NHS measure of people still waiting for treatment. The published median wait comes from this, which is why it reflects time already waited, not a countdown from today.
Initial consultation
Your first paid appointment with a private consultant, where they assess you and recommend next steps. Often the first step if you pay to move faster.
Inpatient
Treatment where you stay in hospital for one or more nights.
Median wait
The middle waiting time: half of patients wait less than this, half wait more. A more honest figure than an average, which a few very long waits can distort.
NHS Constitution
The document setting out your rights as an NHS patient, including the right to treatment within 18 weeks and the right to choose your provider.
NHS Trust
The organisation that runs one or more hospitals in an area. Your wait is measured at the Trust treating you.
Outpatient
An appointment or treatment where you come in and go home the same day, without staying overnight.
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)
A free service at every NHS Trust that can tell you your place on the waiting list, chase delays, and explain your rights. A good first call if you are stuck.
PHIN (Private Healthcare Information Network)
The official source of information on private hospitals and consultants, including their fees and activity. We use it for private cost figures.
Pre-operative assessment
Checks done before surgery, such as blood tests and health questions, to make sure you are ready for the operation.
Private Patient Unit (PPU)
A private ward inside an NHS hospital, where you can pay for treatment by NHS consultants in NHS facilities.
Private treatment
Care you pay for yourself, at a private hospital or clinic, usually with a shorter wait than the NHS.
Referral
When your GP or another doctor sends you on to a specialist or hospital for treatment they cannot provide themselves.
Right to Choose
Your legal right to have your NHS treatment at a different hospital, including one with a shorter wait, at no cost to you. The NHS term for switching hospitals.
RTT (Referral to Treatment)
The NHS clock that starts when your GP refers you and stops when your treatment begins. The typical wait figures you see are based on this.
Self-pay
Paying for private treatment directly, rather than through health insurance.
Specialist
A doctor trained in one particular area of medicine. Consultants are specialists.
Specialty
An area of medicine, such as orthopaedics (bones and joints) or ENT (ear, nose and throat). Your wait depends on which specialty treats your condition.
The 18-week rule
Under the NHS Constitution, you have the right to start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral. Most people wait longer, and if you pass 18 weeks you gain extra rights.
Triage
The process of sorting patients by how urgent their needs are, to decide who is seen first and in what order.
Waiting list
The queue of people referred for the same kind of treatment at a hospital, usually ordered by clinical need and how long you have waited.
Waiting list validation
When a hospital checks its list is up to date, sometimes contacting patients to confirm they still need treatment. If you miss this, you can be removed without knowing.
Was not brought / did not attend (DNA)
NHS terms for a missed appointment. Too many can affect your place on the list, so it is worth telling the hospital if you cannot make one.