Updating NHS organisational terms - such as NHS Board, NHS Trust.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| NAPEG | National Audit Projects Expert Group. |
| nasogastricfeeding | Feeding by delivering liquid nutrients through a tube passing through the nose and into the stomach. |
| National Advisory Group (NAG) | The national body which oversees the Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP). |
| National Breast Screening Programme | National programme inviting all women in the UK between 50 and 64 years old for a health check for breast cancer. The test used is a mammogram which is offered every 3 years. |
| National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) | The UK-wide programme of free population-based screening for breast cancer. Website address: www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen |
| National Institute for Clinical Exellence(NICE) | NICE is part of the NHS. It is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on treatments and care for those using the NHS in England and Wales. Its guidance is for healthcare professionals and patients and their carers, to help them make decisions about treatment and healthcare. NICE guidance and recommendations are prepared by independent groups that include healthcare professionals working in the NHS and people who are familiar with the issues affecting patients and carers. Website address: www.nice.org.uk |
| National Services Division (NSD) | The division of the Scottish Common Services Agency with responsibility for ensuring the provision of national screening programmes and specialist services on behalf of NHS Scotland. Website address: www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nsd |
| national strategy for carers | Describes what the government has done so far to support carers and how quality of life for carers can be improved by ensuring that their needs are identified and met. It focuses on how carers can be informed, involved and empowered, and how employers can help carers combine paid work with their caring responsibilities. The strategy details proposals to support young carers. |
| NB | Net (monetary) benefit (of a therapy or treatment protocol). |
| NBS | National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland. NBS no longer exists - its functions are part of the remit of NHS Education for Scotland. See NHS Education for Scotland. |
| NCRI | National Cancer Research Institute. |
| NCRN | National Cancer Research Network. |
| neonatal | A term used to describe the first 4 weeks after birth. |
| NES | See NHS Education for Scotland. |
| New Drugs Committee | An expert committee of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). The New Drugs Committee studies the assessment and draft recommendation reports on a new drug, and passes the assessment and a finalised recommendation back to the SMC and the applicant drug company. |
| newborn | Recently born infant. |
| NHS | National Health Service. |
| NHS board | There are 22 NHS boards of two types: 14 territorial boards responsible for healthcare in their areas and eight special health boards which offer supporting services nationally. See NHS board (territorial) and special health board. |
|
NHS board (territorial) |
There are 14 territorial boards, the mainland being covered by 11 and the island groups (Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles) by three. They are responsible and accountable for strategic planning, service delivery, performance management and governance within their local areas. Each NHS board uses the organisational building blocks of NHS direct care, such as community health partnerships or operating divisions, in a way which suits its geography and population. NHS boards work together in regional planning arrangements for those services which require that wider perspective. See community health partnership, NHS operating division and single system working. |
| NHS Education forScotland(NES) | Combines the work of several abolished organisations: SCPMDE, the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland (NBS), and the Post Qualification Board for Health Service Pharmacists in Scotland (PQEB). Website address: www.nes.scot.nhs.uk |
| NHS EED | NHS Economic Evaluation Database. |
| NHS priorities | The three national clinical priorities are mental health; coronary heart disease and stroke; and cancer. |
| NHS QIS | See NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. |
| NHS Quality ImprovementScotland(NHS QIS) | NHS QIS has been established (January 2003) to lead in improving the quality of care and treatment delivered by NHSScotland. To do this it sets standards and monitors performance, and provides NHSScotland with advice, guidance and support on effective clinical practice and service improvements. Website: nhshealthquality.org |
| NHS Trust | NHS Trusts were organisations responsible for providing a group of healthcare services for the local population. An Acute Trust provided hospital services. A Primary Care Trust provided primary care/community health services. Mental health services (both hospital and community-based) were usually provided by Primary Care Trusts. From 2001, Trusts operated within an overall framework drawn up by their NHS Board. Trusts were dissolved on 31 March 2004, becoming operating divisions of the NHS Board. See NHS Board. |
| NHSBSP | See National Health Service Breast Screening Programme. |
| NHSE | National Health Service in England & Wales. |
| NHSiS | National Health Service in Scotland. The organisation continues as 'NHS Scotland', and the term is obsolete. |
| NHSScotland | The National Health Service in Scotland. |
| NICE | See National Institute for Clinical Excellence. |
| NMC | Nursing & Midwifery Council. Website address: www.nmc-uk.org |
| NMPDU | See Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit. |
| NPC | National Projects Committee. CRAG's grant-awarding committee replaced by CEPS in 1998. |
| NRIS | Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland. |
| NS | Non significant. |
| nS | Nanosecond. |
| NSD | See National Services Division. |
| NSF | National Service Framework. In England, NSFs set national standards and define service models for a specific service or care group, put in place programmes to support implementation and establish performance measures against which progress within an agreed timescale will be measured. Each NSF sets out where care is best provided and the standard of care patients should be offered in each setting. The first three Frameworks related to coronary heart disease (CHD), mental health and older people. |
| nuclear medicine | The use of radiotracers to study the structure and function of organs of the body. |
| nurse | A person who is specially trained to provide services that are essential to or helpful in the promotion, treatment, maintenance, and restoration of health and well being. |
| Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit (NMPDU) | NMPDU was set up in December 1999 in response to the White Paper 'Designed to Care' (1997). The overall aim of the Unit is to ensure that practice/role development is taken forward across Scotland in a consistent and cohesive way, so that benefits gained from new practice in one area can be easily identified and shared within the profession. On 1 January 2003, CRAG was merged with four other clinical effectiveness bodies to create NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. See NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. |
| nursing assessment | Initial review of patient on admission. |
| nursing care plan | Individual plan relating to patient care, setting aims and objectives of treatment. |
| nutrition | All foods, the physical and chemical process by which food is converted into body tissue. |
