Glossary of Industry Acronyms A - M

dfs A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |

ABHI
Association of British Healthcare Industries

ABPI
Association of The British Pharmaceutical Industry

AdvaMed
Advanced Medical Technology Trade Association - the US Association for the Medical Technology Industry (formerly HIMA).

AIDC
Automatic Identification and Data Capture

AIMDD
Active Implantable Medical Devices Directive

ALB
Arms Length Bodies - A review of ALB's hasled to the merging and/or dissolution of a number of NHS organisations

AXrEM
Association of Healthcare Technology Providers for Imaging, Radiotherapy and Care (formerly the Association of X-Ray Equipment Manufacturers)

B
BBSRC
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

BDA
British Dental Association - the professional association and trade union for dentists in the UK

BDTA
British Dental Trade Association - the Association for dental manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and distributors

BHTA
British Healthcare Trades Association - the Association for Assistive Technologies in Healthcare

BIA
BioIndustry Association - the trade association for innovative enterprises in the UK's bioscience sector

BIGT
Bioscience Innovation Growth Team

BITECIC
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Centre of Industrial Collaboration - established to manage collaboration between industry, universities and expert clinicians.

BIVDA
British In Vitro Diagnostics Association - the association for companies with major involvement and interest in the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) industry

BLWA
See GAMBICA

BMA
British Medical Association

BOA
British Orthopaedic Association - provider of education and practice management services for orthopaedic surgeons and health professionals

BPI
Best Procurement Initiative (Scotland) - Designed to drive out improvements in the NHS Scotland supply chain in the areas of logistics, strategic sourcing and process and technology

BSA
NHS Business Services Authority - Replaces the Dental Practice Board, NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, NHS Pensions Agency and Prescriptions Pricing Authority

BSI
British Standards Institution - the UK's National Standards Body

CBI
Confederation of British Industry - the leading lobbying organisation for UK business on national and international issues.

CD
Commercial Directorate of the Department of Health - Securing best value as well as achieving greater levels of effectiveness for the Department of Health and the NHS through the use of best commercial practices and better commercial relationships

CEN
Comité Européen de Normalisation - the European Committee for Standardization

CENELEC
Comité européen de normalisation électrotechnique - the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

CEP
Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing (formerly the Device Evaluation Service of the MHRA)

CHAI Commission for Audit and Health Improvement (Healthcare Commission) - The Healthcare Commission is an independent body, set up to promote and drive improvement in the quality of healthcare and public health through inspection, reporting and performance ratings

CMO
Chief Medical Officer

CNO
Chief Nursing Officer

CPH
Collaborative Procurement Hub - Part of the SCEP focussed on purchasing strategy at a regional level

CPO
Collaborative Procurement Organisation ( Term used to cover Hubs and Confederations focussed on purchasing strategy at a regional level)

CPO
Chief Pharmaceutical Officer

CRM
Cardiac Rhythm Management

CSM
Committee of Safety of Medicines

CSR
Comprehensive Spending Review

DH or DOH
Department of Health

DH International
Deparment of Health international

DBERR
Department for Enterprise, Business and Regulatory Reform - BERR (formerly DTI)

DfiD
Department for International Development

DIUS
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

DT
Drug Tariff

EBM
Evidence Based Medicine

EDMA
European Diagnostics Manufacturers Association

EPR
Electronic Patient Record

EPSRC
Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

ETP
Electronic Transfer of Presciptions

Eucomed
The largest representative body of the European Medical Technology and Devices Industry.

FDA
Food and Drug Administration

FHT
Foundation Hospital Trust

GAMBICA
The Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation, and Laboratory Technology (incorporating BLWA)

GDP
Gross Domestic Product

GMC
General Medical Council

GMS
General Medical Services

GMP
Good Manufacturing Practice

GPC
General Practitioner Committee

GPFH
GP Fundholder

GS1
Global Standards - Based in Brussels, Belgium, manages the GS1 standards for bar codes, business messaging, RFID and Global Distribution Systems

H
HA
Health Authority

HAI
Hospital Acquired Infection

HB
Health Board (Scotland - now NHS Boards)

HC
Healthcare Commission

HCHS
Hospital and Community Health Services

HITF
Healthcare Industries Task Force - Brought together government and industry leaders to identify steps to develop, stimulate the growth and performance of the UK healthcare industry and maximise the benefit to patients from healthcare products

HMT
HM Treasury

HRG
Healthcare Resource Groups - Provide a means of categorising the treatment of patients in order to monitor and evaluate the use of resources

HSC
Health and Safety Commission

HSE
Health and Safety Executive

HTA
Health Technology Assessment

HTD
Health Technology Devices programme

hTEP
Human Tissue Engineered Products

IchemE
Institution of Chemical Engineers

ICP
Integrated Care Pathway

IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission

IMRC
Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre

IP
Independent Precriber

ISO
International Standards Organisation

IS-TC
Independent Sector Treatment Centres - Use of the private sector to help provide extra clinical capacity to deliver swift access to treatment for NHS patients

IVDMDD
In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive

K
KTN
Knowledge Transfer Network. KTNs stimulate innovation in the UK's key technology sectors by promoting collaboration, best practice and knowledge sharing between industry and academia. KTNs are a DBERR Business Support Solution delivered through the Technology Programme.

M
MATCH
Multidisciplinary Assessment of Technology Centre for Healthcare (a research collaboration between five leading UK universities in healthcare technology assessment, and industrial partners)

MDD
Medical Devices Directive

MDIS
Medical Devices in Scotland

MHRA
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. From 1 April 2003, MHRA replaced the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) and the Medicines Control Agency (MCA).

MRC
Medical Research Council