Acute hospitals
The hospitals people go to for major surgery, the treatment of very serious conditions, for intensive care and so on.

Audit commission
A freestanding government body which audits local government authorities and health authorities. They were formed to promote the best use of public money.

Care pathway
This term describes all the processes of diagnosis, treatment and care that a patient goes through, on a step-by-step basis from first contact.

Clinical governance
An initiative to ensure and improve clinical standards at local level throughout the NHS. It covers areas such as education and training, managing risk and maintaining clinical standards.

Commissioning
This is the process that PCTs go through to agree health services which a provider (such as an NHS Trust) will provide for a specified sum of money. Commissioning also involves monitoring these contracts to ensure best value for money.

Community care
A way of providing services to people to help them stay in their own homes as long as they are able, or in other settings in the community such as residential homes.

Community health care
A range of treatments provided in the community such as health visiting and district nursing. 

Corporate governance
Systems and processes for ensuring proper accountability, probity and openness in the conduct of an organisation's business. Corporate Governance is a core responsibility of all NHS organisations including PCTs.

General practitioner (GP)
Also commonly referred to as family doctors.

Integrated services
Services that are provided across professions and organisations according to people's needs. 

Intermediate care
This refers to the type of care that patients can be given after coming out of an acute hospital. It is often given to patients who are unable to return home immediately and require some form of rehabilitation.

National institute for clinical excellence (NICE)
A national body set up by the department of health to oversee standards of clinical practice throughout the country and to judge the cost-effectiveness of new drugs.

NHS direct
A 24-hour nurse led telephone help line. Contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. 

NHS trusts
Public bodies providing either acute hospital care, community care or a combination of both. 

Occupational therapy
Mental or physical activity to assist recovery from disease or injury.

Palliative care
Care which gives relief from symptoms but does not cure diseases. It is often given to people who are terminally ill. 

Risk management
A systematic framework for assessing, managing and reducing the risks connected with providing healthcare.

Secondary care
Also known as acute care, this refers to specialist medical care or surgery provided in a hospital setting either as an in-patient or outpatient service. Patients seen in hospitals are generally under the care of a consultant, not a GP.

Service level agreement
These are contracts agreed between PCTs and service providers such as NHS Trusts. They are agreed on an annual basis.

Stakeholder
An individual or organisation with an interest in health and health initiatives. Stakeholders can be organisations such as local authorities or individuals such as residents.