This glossary is intended to help you understand some of the main acronyms and terminology that you may regularly hear or read in your role as a Patient and Carer Representative.

This glossary is not exhaustive – you may wish to find out more about any of these definitions by speaking to the PPIE team, or doing your own research online. We have left some space at the bottom to add any additional terms that you come across, or alternatively you can email us and request that we amend this glossary.

For any help, or to request a printed copy of this glossary, please email gmcancer.voices@nhs.net.

Abbreviation Meaning Definition
AHP Allied Health Professional A collective term for professionals such as physiotherapists, radiographers, and occupational therapists, who work alongside doctors and nurses to deliver patient centred care. There are fifteen different allied health professions.
AO Acute Oncology The management of unexpected care needs of a patient with cancer, including emergency situations and acutely unwell patients.
BPTP Best Practice Timed Pathway

(previously BTP – Best Timed Pathway)

 BPTP’s identify specific clinical events and tests for patients referred with certain symptoms. They have been developed to help cancer pathways meet the Faster Diagnosis Standards (see below), reduce variation, and improve patient experience of care. There are seven NHS England national BPTPs; prostate, lung, colorectal, oesophago-gastric, head and neck, gynaecological, and skin. By March 2024, BPTPs will be published for all suspected cancer pathways.
CCC Cancer Care Coordinator Staff who provide additional support and expertise for patients to help them prepare for clinical conversations, or de-briefing from them. CCC’s work closely with GPs and other colleagues within the primary care network (PCN, see below) to make sure that appropriate support is made available for them and their carers. They focus on the delivery of personalised care, health inequalities, or at risk groups of patients. CCC’s are also now in Secondary Care (see below) services, and act as a link between the two networks to ensure patient care is seamless and joined up.
CNS Clinical Nurse Specialist Specialist cancer nurses who have certain skills, expert knowledge and experience which allows them to practice within this role. Every patient is given a direct nursing contact for their treatment pathway, and this tends to be their CNS. CNS’s enable personalised care, increase efficiency of services, drive innovation through service improvements, and enable effective team communication and care given to patients.
CPES Cancer Patient Experience Survey CPES is a national survey that runs every year for three months which asks about satisfaction of care received.
CT Computerized tomography scan A diagnostic tool which uses x-rays from different angles to create a 3D detailed image of the body.
CWT Cancer waiting times The NHS has three key standards for cancer. They include targets which we measure ourselves against, to ensure patients are diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible. They are:

·       the 28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) which means patients with suspected cancer who are referred for urgent cancer symptoms from a GP, screening programme or other route should be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.

·       the 62-day referral to treatment standard which means patients who have been referred for suspected cancer from any source and go on to receive a diagnosis should start treatment within 62 days of their referral.

·       the 31-day decision to treat to treatment standard which means patients who have a cancer diagnosis, and who have had a decision made on their first or subsequent treatment, should then start that treatment within 31 days.
DGH District General Hospital District general hospitals (DGHs) provide a wide range of services to cater to the healthcare needs of a local population. They are typically smaller than regional teaching hospitals and are located within smaller towns and cities.
HNA Holistic Needs Assessment This is an assessment which aims to identify and support any issues people have as a result of their cancer (for example, physical symptoms, emotional worries, or other parts of life such as finances and family). Every patient with a confirmed cancer diagnosis should be offered a HNA.
HPB Hepato-pancreato-biliary A term for cancers originating in the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and neuroendocrine system.
ICB Integrated care board An NHS organisation responsible for developing a plan to meet the health needs of their population, manage the NHS budget, and arrange for the provision of health services in the ICS area (see below). ICBs replaced clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in July 2022. NHS Greater Manchester is the ICB for Greater Manchester.
ICP Integrated care partnership An ICP connects NHS Trusts, NHS providers, primary care services, local councils, partners across the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector, Healthwatch, and Trade Unions across an area. In Greater Manchester, the ICP replaced the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership in July 2022.
ICS Integrated care system ICSs are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area. ICSs include ICBs and ICPs (see above).
LTC Long term conditions Long term conditions or chronic conditions generally last a year or longer and impact on a person’s life. Cancer is classified as being a chronic disease because it is an ongoing condition that can recur, requires medical attention/treatment, and affects daily living.
Mets Metastases Metastases is the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour to another part of the body. Can also be referred to as ‘secondary cancer’.
MDT Multi-disciplinary team meeting These meetings bring healthcare professionals together to discuss cancer patient’s diagnosis and treatment decisions. The team might include:

·         Navigators or Pathway Navigators who support patients and their advocates by answering questions, helping with appointment bookings, and accessing local support services.

·         Oncologists who are consultants who specialise in treating cancers with medication, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy.

·         Pathologists who are consultants who examine a tissue section for evidence of cancerous cells.

·         Radiologists who are specialist consultants in interpreting and reporting on scan images, this may include interventional radiologists who are required for any procedure under image guidance such as biopsies.

·         Surgeons who are doctors who specialise in a specific cancer type and carry out operations for these.
NSS Non-Site Specific Non Site Specific (NSS) Service/ Pathway is for patients who have worrying symptoms that could be a cancer, but are not typical or do not fit clearly into a cancer type. These symptoms include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain or nausea, and a GP ‘gut’ feeling about cancer. The NSS Pathway ensures that these patients are seen quicker, don’t go back and forth between primary and secondary care, and also frees up capacity on tumour specific pathways.
OG Oesophago-Gastric A term for cancers originating in the oesophagus (also known as the gullet or food pipe) or stomach.
PA Physician Associate Physician Associates are healthcare professionals with a generalist healthcare education. They work alongside doctors and surgeons providing medical care as part of wider MDT.
PCN Primary Care Network Primary care is the first point of contact that people have when approaching medical professionals for advice, guidance or treatment. It includes services, such as: GPs, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health). GP practices work together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital, and voluntary services in their local areas in groups of practices known as primary care networks (PCNs).
PC Personalised Care Personalised care means that people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered. This will also help to empower people to manage their care and the impact of the cancer. Personalised care means that patients have the opportunity to discuss all of their concerns, whether during a hospital appointment or with their GP, and get the support they need. This may be established via:

–       Holistic Needs Assessment (see above)

–       Personalised Care Support Plan (PCSP) which captures and provides a written record of the HNA conversations, decisions and agreed outcomes to support health and wellbeing

–       Treatment Summaries (see below)

–       Cancer Care Reviews which are a conversation between a patient and their GP/ Practice Nurse which provides support after a cancer diagnosis

–       Patient Stratified Follow Up (see below)
PPIE Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement We have a dedicated PPIE team at the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance. They oversee the work we do to engage with patients, carers, members of the public and the wider voluntary and community sector.
PSFU Patient Stratified Follow up This gives patients control over their follow-up care allowing them to be seen when needed such as when their symptoms or circumstances change, otherwise avoiding the inconvenience of appointments of low clinical value.
Prehab Prehabilitation for cancer or Prehab4Cancer Prehab4Cancer is an exercise, nutrition and wellbeing programme designed to help people with a recent cancer diagnosis prepare for and cope better with their treatment. It is available for some cancers across Greater Manchester.
PTL Patient Tracking List NHS England collect data from each cancer alliance and all hospital trusts relating to cancer waiting times. The Cancer Patient Tracking List data collection is used to monitor the performance of trusts with regard to the cancer waiting time standards (as above). Commissioners and NHS England and NHS Improvement use the data to support discussions to ensure compliance against the standards.
PwB Pathway Board Each cancer type is represented by a pathway board.  Our pathway boards in Greater Manchester Cancer lead a number of workstreams aimed at improving the patient pathway, experience and outcomes.

Each board is led by a Pathway Manager and Clinical Lead, and includes a wide range of stakeholders.
RDC Rapid Diagnostic Centre RDCs are part of the NSS (see above) pathway. In 2019, NHS England asked all Cancer Alliances to set up at least one Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) for patients with non-specific symptoms that could indicate cancer. RDCs enable this timely investigation and diagnosis for these patients.
SC Secondary Care Usually involves a hospital setting and a specialist, such as an oncologist, after a referral from primary care (see above). This can either be planned (elective) care such as an operation, or urgent and emergency care through an emergency department.
SC Small Community An ‘expert by experience’ focus group, where members share lived experience of a particular cancer type/pathway e.g. lung cancer. We have a number of small communities which aim to seek input from patients and carers on projects related to that cancer programme, and understand where improvements could be made.

You can request to join a small community if you have the relevant lived experience.
SLT Senior Leadership Team We have a senior leadership team within the Alliance who make sure that the Alliance can deliver strategic plans, improve the performance of work programmes, and monitor progress against targets.
STT Straight to test This is where a patient is sent straight for tests instead of speaking to a specialist first. This is used where patients are suspected of having a serious condition. STT pathways can reduce the waiting time for diagnosis and treatment.
SQD Single Queue Diagnostics The Single Queue Diagnostic Pathway (SQD) means that patients who need certain types of further tests are able to have the first appointment that’s available, even if it’s not at their usual hospital.
TLHC Targeted Lung Health Check The Targeted Lung Health Check programme aims to reduce the lung cancer mortality rates by ensuring early diagnosis and treatment.

The Targeted Lung Health Check programme targets individuals who smoke or who have previously smoked, aged 55-74 and is designed to maximise participation and awareness within this age group.
TS Treatment Summary This is a comprehensive summary document or letter which provides the patient and their GP with information about the treatment they’ve had, potential side effects, signs and symptoms of recurrence to be aware of, and contact details to address any concerns.

Add your own definitions…

Abbreviation Meaning Definition
     
     
     
     
     
     
Hospitals under the Greater Manchester Cancer Pathway Boards
Bolton Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Royal Bolton Hospital
EC East Cheshire Trust Macclesfield District General Hospital
MCHFT Mid Cheshire Foundation Trust
MFT Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust includes Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and Trafford General Hospital
NCA Northern Care Alliance Pennine Acute Trusts includes Salford Royal, Oldham, Fairfield & Rochdale Hospitals
SHH Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Stepping Hill Hospital
TGH Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust Tameside Hospital
The Christie The Christie NHS Foundation Trust The Christie Hospital
WWL Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wrightington Hospital, Leigh Infirmary