To help you understand the abundance of acronyms used in the UK health and life sciences sector:
A
AAR Accelerated Access Review
ABHI Association of the British Healthcare Industries
ABPI Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
ACD Appraisal Consultation Document
AESGP Association of the European Self-Care Industry
AGNSS Advisory Group for National Specialised Services
AHCS Academy for Healthcare Science
AHSC Academic Health Science Centre
AHSN Academic Health Science Network
AL Adaptive Licensing
AMRC Association of the Medical Research Charities
AMS Academy of Medical Sciences
APG American Pharmaceutical Group
APPG All Party Parliamentary Group
APPG All Party Pharmacy Group
B
BAA British Academy of Audiology
BAEPD British Association of European Pharmaceutical Distributors
BBA British Biosimilars Association
BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BEIS Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
BELS British Educated Life Scientists
BGMA British Generic Manufacturers Association
BHBIA British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association
BIA UK BioIndustry Association
BMA British Medical Association
BNF British National Formulary
BNFc British National Formulary for Children
BIVDA British In Vitro Diagnostics Association
BPG British Pharma Group
BRC Biomedical Research Centre
BROMI Better Regulation of Medicine Initiative
BRU Biomedical Research Unit
BSA British Society of Audiology
C
CAG Confidentiality Advisory Group
CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
CBI The Confederation of British Industry
CCG Clinical Commissioning Group
CCIO Chief Clinical Information Officer
CCS Crown Commercial Service
CDF Cancer Drugs Fund
CDMI Clinical Digital Maturity Index
CEA Clinical Excellence Awards
CEBM Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
CEP Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing
CHM Commission on Human Medicines
CHMP Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use
CLAHRC Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care
CNST Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts
COF Commissioning Outcomes Framework – NICE
COMEAP Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
COMP Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (EU)
CPAG Clinical Priorities Advisory Group
CPRD Clinical Practice Research Datalink
CQC Care Quality Commission (regulates adult social care services)
CQUIN Commissioning for Quality and Innovation
CRG Clinical Reference Group
CRN Clinical Research Network
CRUK Cancer Research UK
CSA Chief Scientific Adviser (to the Prime Minister)
CSU Commissioning Support Units
CSQMs Clinical Services Quality Measures
CSR Comprehensive Spending Review
D
DCMS Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DDA Dispensing Doctors’ Association
DEFRA Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
DfE Department for Education
DfT Department for Transport
DHSC Department of Health and Social Care
DHSS Department of Health and Social Services (Wales)
DHSSPS Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland)
DIT Department for International Trade
DMS Defence Medical Services
DPA Data Protection Act
DPHHP Department for Public Health and Health Professions (Wales)
DPW Department for Work and Pensions
DSU Decision Support Unit (NICE)
DSUR Developmental Safety Update Report
E
EA Environment Agency
EAMS Early Access to Medicines Scheme
ECIP Emergency Care Improvement Programme
ECMC Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres
EDC Equality and Diversity Council (NHS)
EDS Equality Delivery System (NHS)
EFPIA European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
EGA European Generic Medicines Association
EHPF European Health Policy Forum
EHR Electronic Health Record
EIF European Investment Fund
EMA European Medicines Agency
EMC Electronic Medicines Compendium
EMG European Medicines Group
EMIG Ethical Medicines Industry Group
EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
ERG Evidence Review Groups
ESRC Economic and Social Research Council
ETTF Estates and Technology Transformation Fund (Primary Care)
EuropaBio European Association for Bioindustries
F
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
FPM Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine
FSA Food Standards Agency
G
GAVI Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
GDC General Dental Council
GDE Global Digital Exemplar
GMC General Medical Council
GIRP European Healthcare Distribution Association
GOC General Optical Council
GOSH Great Ormond Street Hospital
GPhC General Pharmaceutical Council
GTAC Gene Therapy Advisory Committee
H
HCPC Health and Care Professions Council
HDRUK Health Data Research UK
HDW Healthcare Distribution Association
HEAT targets Health Improvement, Efficiency, Access and Treatment (Scotland)
HEE Health Education England
HEI Higher Education Institutions
HEI Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (Scotland)
HES Hospital Episode Statistics
HFEA Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
HIA Health Impact Assessment
HIP Health Innovation Partnership
HIS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
HIW Health Inspectorate Wales
HQIP Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
HRA Health Research Authority
HRG Healthcare Resource Groups
HSCNI Health and Social Care Northern Ireland
HSCT Health and Social Care Trusts (Northern Ireland)
HSE Health and Safety Executive
HSRN Health Services Research Network
HTA Health Technology Assessment
HTA Human Tissue Authority
HWA Healthwatch England
I
i4i Invention for Innovation
IAPO International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations
ICD-10 International Classification of Diseases
ICER Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio
ICH International Council for Harmonisation (Switzerland)
IFPMA International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations
J
JCVI Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
K
KSF Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS)
KTN Knowledge Transfer Networks
KTP Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
L
LCRN Local Clinical Research Network
LEPs Local Enterprise Partnerships
LHA Local Health Authority
LHB Local Health Board (Wales)
LPCs Local Pharmaceutical Committees
LQAF Library Quality Assurance Framework
LSIS Life Science Industrial Strategy
M
MAC Migration Advisory Committee (Home Office)
MAG Medicines Access Group
MAPPs Medicines Adaptive Pathways to Patients
MDC Medicines Discovery Catapult
MHRA Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
MoJ Ministry of Justice
MRC Medical Research Council
N
NAGCAE National Advisory Group on Clinical Audit and Enquiries
NAMPS National Association of Medical Personnel Specialists
NAO National Audit Office
NAPC National Association of Primary Care
NAW National Assembly for Wales
NC3Rs National Centre for the Reduction, Refinement and Replacement of Animals in Research
NCASP National Clinical Audit Support Programme
NCRAS National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service
NCRI National Cancer Research Institute
NDA National Diabetes Audit
NES NHS Education for Scotland
NHS National Health Service
NHS LIFT NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust
NHSBT NHS Blood and Transplant
NHSC National Horizon Scanning Centre
NHSCB NHS Commissioning Board
NHSCC NHS Clinical Commioners
NHSD NHS Digital
NHSE NHS England
NHSFT NHS Foundation Trust
NHSI NHS Improvement
NHS LA NHS Litigation Authority
NHS OF NHS Outcomes Framework
NIA Northern Ireland Assembly
NIAO Northern Ireland Audit Office
NIB National Information Board
NICE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NIHR National Institute for Health Research
NIHR CRN National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network
NIII National Institute for Innovation and Improvement
NIO Northern Ireland Office
NMS New Medicine Service
NOCRI NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure
NPA National Pharmacy Association
NQB National Quality Board
NRES National Research Ethics Service
NWIC NHS Wales Informatics Service
O
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OHE Office of Health Economics
OLS Office for Life Sciences
ONS Office for National Statistics
OSCHR Office for the Strategic Coordination of Health Research
P
PAGB Proprietary Association of Great Britain
PALS Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PASLU Patient Access Schemes Liaison Unit (NICE)
PASS Patient and Advice Service (Scotland)
PCN Primary Care Network
PHE Public Health England
PHO Public Health Observatory
PHOF Public Health Outcomes Framework
PIE Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
PPRS Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme
PSNC Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee
PSUR Periodic Safety Update Report
PV Pharmacovigilance
Q
QALY Quality-adjusted life year
QMAS Quality Management and Analysis System
QOF Quality Outcomes Framework
R
RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
RCM Royal College of Midwives
RCN Royal College of Nursing
RCoA Royal College of Anaesthetists
RCOG Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
RCOphth Royal College Ophthalmologists
RCOT Royal College of Occupational Therapists
RCP Royal College of Physicians
RCPE Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
RCPSG Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPCH Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
RCS Royal College of Surgeons
RCSE Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
RDAG Rare Diseases Advisory Group
RAE Research Excellence Framework
RE Research England
REACH European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
RPS Royal Pharmaceutical Society
RSM Royal Society of Medicine
S
SAGE Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies
SAM Society for Acute Medicine
SBRI Small Business Research Initiative
SCA Scottish Care Information
SCG Strategic Coordination Group
SCIE Social Care Institute for Excellence
SMC Scottish Medicines Consortium
SOR Society of Radiographers
SUSAR Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction
T
TRIPs Agreement on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Policy rights
TTC Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (Cardiff)
U
UKCRC UK Clinical Research Collaboration
UKCRN UK Clinical Research Network
UKMi UK National Medicines Information
UKVN UK Vaccine Network
W
WAG Welsh Assembly Government
WAO Wales Audit Office
WBS Welsh Blood Service
WHO World Health Organisation
WHSSC Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee
WORD Welsh Office of Research & Development for Health and Social Care
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