Sections A-B, C-D, E-H,I-L, M-O, and P-R, are on separate pages
S1-5 Bones in the base of the spine
S & P Scrape and Polish
S/S Signs and Symptoms
SABA Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus
SAC Specialist Advisory Committee (of the Royal Colleges). Oversee higher medical training.
SACN Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
SAD Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAED SemiAutomatic External Defibrillator
SaFF See SFF
SAGNIS Strategic Advisory Group for Nursing Information Systems
SAHC Scottish Association of Health Councils
SALT Speech and Language Therapist
SAMH Scottish Association of Mental Health
SaO2 Oxygen SAturation
SAP Single Assessment Process
SAPHE Self Assessment in Professional and Higher Education 1996-9
SAR Search And Rescue
or Subjective Analysis Return
SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
SAT Service Action Team
SBU Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care
SC Subcutaneous
SCA Supplementary Credit Approval (part of capital control framework)
SCAIS Sheffield Community Access Interpreting Service
SCBA Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
SCCD Standing Conference on Community Development
SCEC Scottish Central Emergency Committee
SCF Safer Communities Fund
or Scottish Council Foundation
SCG Specialised Commissioning Group
ScHARR School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield
SCHIN Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle
SCID Severe Combined Immune Deficiency
SCIE Social Care Institute for Excellence
SCM Specialist in Community Medicine
SCMH Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
SCMO Senior Clinical Medical Officer
SCODA Standing Conference on Drug Abuse
SCOPE Society for people with Cerebral Palsy
SCOPME The Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education
SCP Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists
or Single Capital Pot
or Spinal Column Point (position on pay-scale)
or Shared Care Protocol or
Short Course Programme
SCPMDE Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education
SCR Social Care Region
SCUBA Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SCT Society of County Treasurers
SCVO Scottish Council For Voluntary Organisations
SCVS CVS Scotland
SDA Severe Disability Allowance (obsolete)
or Service Delivery Agreement or
SDCT Society of District Council Treasurers
SDI Shire Districts Initiative
SDO Service Delivery Organisation
SDP Sub-Divisional Partnership
Seac Spongiform Encephalopathy Committee. Advises HMG on BSE
SEACAG South East Ambulance Clinical Audit Group
SEC Specialist Education Committee
SEG Socio-Economic Group
SEMI Severe and Enduring Mental Illness
SEN Special Educational Needs
or State Enrolled Nurse
SEO Society of Education Officers
SERNIP Safety and Efficiency Register of New Interventional Procedures run by the Medical Royal Colleges
SERPS State Earnings Related Pension Scheme
or Sentence Enforcement Unit
SFA Statement of Fees and Allowances - The GP's Red Book
SFDF Scottish Food and Drink Federation
SFF Service & Finance Framework - An annual document setting out in detail the commissioning intentions for the following year (1st April - 31st March).
SFI Standing Financial Instructions - Financial procedures and framework for the Health Authority
or Social Fund Inspector
SFM Simple Face Mask
SG1 (2..3) Sector Group 1 etc. (part of CLP covering best value)
SGHT Standing Group on Health Technology
SGML Standard Generalised Markup Language
SGPC Scottish General Practitioners Committee - part of the BMA
SGR Scientists for Global Responsibility
SGUMDER Standing Group on Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education and Research
SHA Socialist Health Association
or Special Health Authority
or Strategic Health Authority
SHAPE Strategic Health Asset Planning and Evaluation
SHARE Scottish Health Authorities Revenue Equalisation
SHAS Scottish Health Advisory Service (obs)
SHEPS Society of Health Education and Health Promotion Specialists
SHIFT Substitution of Hospital and other Institutional-focused Technology
SHMO Senior Hospital Medical Officer
SHOT Serious Hazards of Transfusion
SHOW Scottish Health on the Web
SHRINE Strategic Human Resources Information Network
SHTAC Scottish Centre for Technology Assessment in Health Care
SIA Spinal Injuries Association
SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
SIFT Service Increment for Teaching - cash to hospitals for training medical students
SIFTR Service Increment for Teaching and Research
SIG Special Interest Group
SIGN Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network
SIGOMA Special Interest Group of Metropolitan Authorities outside London
SIMS Standardized Incident Management System
SING Sexuality Issues Network Group
SIS Supplies Information Service
or Statistical Information Service (run by IPF)
SITF Social Investment Task Force
Sitrep Situation Reports
SIV Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
SL Sub Lingual (under your tongue)
SLA Service Level Agreement
SLAM South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
SLE systemic lupus erythematosus
SLS Selected List Scheme for drugs which are restricted to particular conditions
SLT Society of London authority Treasurers
SLUD Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Defecation
SMAC Standing Medical Advisory Committee
SMART Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timed (of objectives)
SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise
SMI Severe Mental Impairment. People with SMI do not have to pay Council Tax
SMO Senior Medical Officer
SMR Standardised Mortality Ratio
or Standardised Morbidity Ratio
SMT Society of Municipal Treasurers
SMTP Simple Message Transfer Protocol
SMUG South Manchester User Group - a group of users of mental health services
SMUHT South Manchester University Hospital Trust
SN Staff Nurse
SNAFU Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
SNMAC Standing Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee
SNOMED Systematized Nomenclature of Human Medicine
SNP Single Nucleotide Polymorphism - a marker of genetic difference
SNTN Scottish National Training Number
SO Standing Orders
SOAP Shipley Opthalmic Assessment Service
sob Short of Breath
SOBOE Short Of Breath On Exertion
SOC Strategic Outline Case - spells out the business and IT environment and local development plans within which a planned system will operate. Followed by the FBC.
SOCITM SOCiety of Information Technology Managers
SOCO Scene Of Crime Officer (police)
SODoH Scottish Department of Health (obs)
SOHHD Scottish Home Office and Health Department - obsolete
SOLACE Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers
SON Statement of Need
SOP Standard Operational Procedure
SORP Statement Of Recommended [accounting] Practice
sos si opus sit - if necessary
SoS Secretary of State
SOSIG Social Science Information Gateway
SOVA Society of Voluntary Associates (associated with Probation)
SP Strategic Plan
SPA Scottish Prescribing Analysis
SPAIN Social Policy Ageing Information Network
SPC Summary of Product Characteristics
SPIN Sandwell Public Information Network
SpR Specialist registrar
SPS Standard Payroll System
SPT Skin Prick Test
SPRITE Specialist Psychiatric Resource and Intervention Team. Work with dementia in North Manchester
SQ Subcutaneous
SR Senior registrar
or Spending Review
Sr Sister
SRB Single Regeneration Budget - replaced Urban Aid
SRD State Registered Dietician
SRE Sex and relationship Education
SRSAG Supra Regional Services Advisory group
SS Sure Start
SSA Standard Spending Assessment
SSAP Statement of Standard Accounting Practice (now being replaced by FRS)
SSARG Standard Spending Assessment Reduction Grant
SSAT Social Security Appeal Tribunal
SSC Shared Services Centre or
Sector Skills Council
SSCF Safer and Stronger Communities Fund
SSD Social Services Department
SSDP Strategic Service Development Plan
SSE School for Social Entrepreneurs
SSFA School Standards & Framework Act 1998
SSHA Society of Sexual Health Advisers
SSI Social Services Inspectorate Transferred to Commission for Social Care Inspection April 2004
or Standard Spending Indicator (part of SSA)
SSIP Strategic Service Implementation Plan,
SSIS Social Services Information System - A computerised system in all Manchester Social Services offices providing data on referral and assessment
SSM Special Study Module
or System Status Management
or Scottish Socialist Party or
Sub-regional Strategic Partnership
SSR Service Strategy & Regulation
SSRADU Social Services Research & Development Unit (obs)
SSRG Social Services Research Group
SSRI Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor - Prozac and the like
SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest
ST Sinus Tachycardia
STA Specialist Training Authority
STAG School Travel Advisory Group
STAR Short Term Assessment and Rehabilitation Team Social Services teams which provide up to four weeks of care for people leaving hospital and residential homes and returning home
STAR-PU Specific Therapeutic Group Age-Sex Related Prescribing Unit. A very sophisticated PU, based on cost within a therapeutic group.
StBOP Shifting the Balance of Power
STC Speciality Training Committee
STD Sexually transmitted disease
STE Standard Tax Element
STEIS Strategic Executive Information System
STEP Standards Enforcement in Procurement A set of technical standards which IT systems should adhere to if they are to 'talk' to each other
STG Special Transitional Grant - Department of Health money given to Social Services to change to Community Care (now defunct)
STHCT South Tyneside Health Care Trust
StHA Strategic Health Authority
STI Sexually Transmitted Infection
StN Student nurse
STPCT South Tyneside Primary Care Trust
STSS Short Term Support Services - Planned residential respite care for people with learning disabilities.
STUFF Stockport User Friendly Forum
SU Strategy Unit (Cabinet Office)
or Students Union
SUI Serious Untoward Incident
SURE Service User Research Enterprise
SURF Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures
SVT Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia
SWAG Specialist Workforce Advisory Group
SWG Speciality Working Group
or Settlement Working Group
or Service Working Group
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Sx Symptoms
T&O Trauma and Orthopaedics
T&R Treat and Release
T1-12 Bones in the thoracic spine (upper back)
TACFIG Town And Country Issues Financial Issues Group
TALOBIA There's a lot of it about
TAP Trainee Assistant Practitioner
TATT Tired All the Time
TB Tuberculosis
TBA To Be Announced or Arranged
TBF Total Body Failure
TBG Thyroxine binding globulin capacity
TC Town Council
or Total Communication
TCA trichloroacetic acid
TCBL Temporary Capital Borrowing Limit (part of capital control framework)
TCI To Come In
TCP Total Commissioning Project
TCP/IP Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TD Teachta Dála" which in English means "Deputy to the Dáil"
TDHC The Doctors Healthcare Company
TDS ter die sumendum - Three Times Daily
TEACCH Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children
TEC Training and Enterprise Council (now abolished)
TEETH tried everything else, try homoeopathy
TEL Trust Executive Letter
TELCO The East London Communities Organisation
TENS transcutaneous electro-nerve stimulator An electronic pain relief machine
TENYAS Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service
TERN Trans European Road Network
TGF Transforming Growth Factor
TIA Transient Ischaemic Attack
or Traffic Impact Assessment
TICK Teamwork, Integrity, Courage, Knowledge
TICS Trafford Integrated Care Services
TID Three Times Daily
TIE theatre in education
TIS Technical Information Services
TKO To Keep Open
TLA Three letter acronym like this one
TLC Tender loving care - what you need when the doctors have finished with you.
TLD Top Level Domain
TME Trust Management Executive
TMJ TemporoMandibular Joints Disorder
TMB Too Many Birthdays
TME Total Managed Expenditure
TMO Tenant Management Organisation
TNA Training Needs Analysis
TOIL Time Off In Lieu
TOP Termination of pregnancy
or Topically
TOPRA The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs
TOPS Termination of Pregnancy Service
TOPSS Training Organisation for Personal Social Services
TPAS Tenants Participation Advisory Service
TPC Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinator
TPD Training Programme Director
TPE Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
TPP Total Purchasing Project
or Transport Policies & Programmes
TPQ Threshold Planning Quanity
TPR Temperature, Pulse, Respirations
TPU Teenage Pregnancy Unit
TQM Total Quality Management
TR Technical Release (term used by Audit Commission)
TRALI Transfusion related Acute Lung Injury
TRBL Temporary Revenue Borrowing Limit (part of capital control framework)
TRiP Turning Research into Practice
TRIPS Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights
TRO Time Ran Out
TSC Technical Sub-Committee
TSG Transport Supplementary Grant
TSH Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
TSO The Stationery Office (formerly Her Majesty's Stationery Office)
TSP Training Support Programme
TSS Total Standard Spending
TSST Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin
TSSU Theatre Sterile Supplies Unit
TTFO Told to Fuck Off
TTO To take home - 5 days supply of medication
TTP Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
TTPO Tone Temperature and Pulse OK
or Told to Piss Off
TUBE Totally Unnecessary Breast Examination
TUPE Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981
TV Transfer Value
TVF Team, Vision, Future
TWES Training and Work Experience Scheme
TWG Technical Working Group
TWOC Trial WithOut Catheter. A patient who has been catheterised because he or she (but usually he) cannot pass urine, has the catheter taken out to see if he can remember how. If not, then he usually has an appointment with the apple corer.
or Taking Without Consent (of cars)
Tx Treatment
Txp Transport
U&E Urea & Electrolytes - blood test
UA Unitary Authority - a Council which carries out all the functions in its area
UASC Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
UASSG Unlinked Anonymous Surveys Steering Group
UB Unemployment Benefit (now JSA)
UBHT United Bristol Healthcare Trust
UBR Uniform Business Rate (alternative name for NNDR)
UCAS Universities College Admission Service
UDC Urban District Council (obsolete except in Ireland) now replaced by MBCs
or Urban Development Corporation
UEMS EUROPEAN UNION OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS
UGM Unit General Manager
UHB University Hospitals Birmingham
UHF Ultra High Frequency
UKADCU UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit (formerly Drugs Co-ordination Unit)
UKAN United Kingdom Advocacy Network
UKCC United Kingdom Central Council (abolished 2002)
UKDIPG United Kingdom Drug Information Pharmacists Group
UKHFAN United Kingdom Health for All Network
UKOLN The UK Office for Library and Information Networking
UKPHA United Kingdom Public Health Alliance
UKTSSA United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority
ULC Unit Labour Cost - Staff cost required to provide a given unit of activity.
ULTRA Unrelated Live Transplant Regulatory Authority
UMIST University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (obs)
UMLS Unified Medical Language System
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
UNISON Trades Union for public sector workers, incorporating COHSE, NALGO and NUPE
UPA Underpriviledged Area - a measure of deprivation. 0 is the mean for England
URC Urban Regeneration Company
URTI Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
US Ultra sound
UTD Unit Training Director
UTF Urban Task Force
UTG Unified Training Grade
UTH University Teaching Hospital
UV ultra violet
or Ultra Vires
VA Voluntary Action
or Voluntary-Aided
or Vote Account
VAM Voluntary Action Manchester - gives advice, support and information for voluntary and community groups in Manchester.
VAMP A GP Information system supplier User group
VAT Value Added Tax
VB Volunteer Bureau
VBAC vaginal birth after caesarean
VC Voluntary-Controlled
or Variable Cost
VCO(s) Voluntary and Community Organisation(s)
VCS Voluntary and Community Sector
VCT Voluntary Competitive Tendering
VD Venereal disease - now usually called STD
VDU Visual Display Unit
VESA Video Electronic Standard Association
VFM Value for Money
VHF Very High Frequency
VHI Voluntary Health Insurance (Ireland)
VMA vanilmandelic acid
VOCOSE Voluntary, Community and Social Economy
VPB Ventricular Premature Beat
VPC Ventricular Premature Contraction
VPE Virtual Private Exchange (type of internal telephone network)
VRSA Vancomycin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
VSA Vital Signs Absent
VSC Voluntary Service Co-ordinator
VSNTO Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation
VSO Voluntary Sector Option (New Deal)
VSPG Voluntary Sector Policy and Grants
VTN Visiting Training Number
VTR Vocational Training Record
VTS Vocational Training Scheme
VZV Varicella-Zoster Virus
WAA Working Age Agency
WADEM World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
WAHAT Welsh Association of Health Authorities and Trusts
WAI Web Accessibility Initiative
WAST Westcountry Ambulance Services NHS Trust
WAT Workforce Action Team
WBC White Blood Corpuscle or leukocyte
WCA Waste Collection Authority
WCH West Cornwall Hospital
WCVA Wales Council for Voluntary Action
WD Warm/Dry
WDC Workforce Development Confederation
WDGH West Dorset General Hospitals
WEA Workers Educational Association
WeBNF Web accessible BNF
WEETU Women's Employment Enterprise and Training Unit, Norfolk
WEHCT Winchester & Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust
WEN Women's Environment Network
WEST Winter and Emergency Services Team
WF Work Foundation (formerly Industrial Society)
WFTC Working Families Tax Credit now replaced by Tax Credits
WGLGFS Working Group on Local Government Financial Statistics (pronounced wugfluss)
WGSMT Working Group on Specialist Medical Training
WHCSA Welsh Health Common Services Agency (obsolete) Now part of Welsh
Health Estates
WIC Walk In Centre
WIGS Women in Grey Suits
WIH Work in Hand
WIS Waiting-room Information Service
WIST Women in Surgical Training Scheme
WLGA Welsh Local Government Association
WM Workload Measure. (e.g. OBD, LOS, FCE)
WMAS West Midland Ambulance Service
WMCIU West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit
WMPH West Midlands Public Health
WNAB Workforce Numbers Advisory Board
WNC Womens National Commission
WoCPCT West of Cornwall Primary Care Trust
WONCA World Organisation of National Colleges Academies and academic associations of general practitioners / family physicians
WP White Paper
WPD Warm, Pink, Dry
WRA Waste Regulation Authority (now part of the Environment Agency)
WRL Weighted Road Length (part of SSA)
WRT Workforce Review Team
WRVS Women's Royal Voluntary Service
wte Whole Time Equivalent
WTEP Whole Time Equivalent Posts
WTI Waiting Time Initiative
WU Women’s Unit
WWW World-Wide Web
WYCAP Wythenshawe Community Asthma Project
XML eXtensible Markup Language
XR X ray
Y/O year-old
YCS Young Chronic Sick
YDU Young Disabled Unit
YHYCYS Your Health Your Care Your Say
YMCA Young Men's Christian Association
YMMV Your Mileage May Vary
Last updated 23/03/06