Website of the Department of Health

P

Pace of change

The speed at which PCTs move closer to their weighted capitation targets.

Palliative care

Improving the quality of life of patients who have a life threatening illness. 

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Services)

Services that provide information, advice and support to help patients, families and their carers.

Pandemic flu

Flu pandemics are global epidemics of a newly emerged strain of flu to which most people have little or no immunity. 

Pandemic influenza

See above entry.

Patient advice and liaison services

See PALS.

Patient and public involvement

Involving the public in shaping a care system’s development, and keeping patients well informed of clinical processes and decisions.

Patient choice

Giving patients more choice about how, when and where they receive treatment.

Patient Environment Action Team

See PEAT.

Patient led NHS

The major changes underway to create a patient led health service.

Patient pathway

The route followed by the patient into, through and out of NHS and social care services.

Patient safety

DH's approach and long term strategy for ensuring patient safety in all healthcare settings.

Patients’ Forums

Every NHS trust, including foundation trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) has a patient forum. Their functions include monitoring the quality of services and seeking the views of patients and carers about those services.

Payment by Results (PbR)

Transparent rules based system that sets fixed prices (a tariff) for clinical procedures and activity in the NHS, enabling all trusts to be paid the same for equivalent work.

Pay Review Bodies

Independent panels that recommend pay awards for staff such as doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals, which are then submitted to the Secretary of State for Health.

PbR

See Payment by Results.

PBC

See Practice based commissioning.

PCP

See Person-centred planning.

PCT (primary care trusts)

See Primary care trusts. 

PEAT (Patient Environment Action Team)

Team that assesses environmental cleanliness and food standards in hospitals.

Pension credit

Pension credit consists of two elements: guarantee credit and savings credit. Guarantee credit ensures a minimum amount of income for people aged 60 and over. Savings credit provides a reward for individuals aged 65 and over, who have made additional provision for their retirement through second tier pensions or similar savings. 

Personal Medical Services contracts (PMS)

One of the types of contracts primary care trusts (PCTs) can have with primary care providers. This contract is locally negotiated with practices.

Person-centred planning (PCP)

A process of life planning for individuals based on the principles of inclusion and the social model of disability.

PFI (private finance initiative)

Initiative that provides a way of funding major capital investments, without immediate recourse to the public purse.

Pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS)

Scheme that ensures the NHS has access to good quality branded medicines at reasonable prices.

Placements in Focus

Document that provides practical guidance to enhance the development of student practice placements.

Planning framework

Health and social care planning mechanisms that work in line with ongoing regional devolution and reform.

PMS

See Personal Medical Services contracts.

POVA

See Protection of vulnerable adults.

PPP

See Private public partnership.

Practice based commissioning (PBC)

PBC engages practices and other primary care professionals in the commissioning of services.

Practitioners with special interests (PwS)

A PwSI specialises in a particular type of care in addition to their normal role.

Primary care

The collective term for all services which are people’s first point of contact with the NHS, eg GPs, dentists.

Primary care trusts (PCTs)

NHS bodies with responsibility for delivering health care services and health improvements to their local areas.

Private finance initiative (PFI)

see pfi.

Private public partnership (PPP)

PPP is divided into two: the private finance initiative (PFI) and the NHS Local Improvements Finance Trust (NHS LIFT). The PFI provides a way of funding major capital investments, without immediate recourse to the public purse. NHS LIFT aims to develop a new market for investment in primary care and community based facilities and services.

PPRS

See Pharmaceutical price regulation scheme.

Procurement

Purchasing process made by the Department of Health to further improve health and social care services.

Productive time

System that maximises the time spent by clinical, managerial and administrative staff on activities aimed at improving patient services.

Protection of vulnerable adults (POVA)

Initiative set up to specifically address the abuse of vulnerable adults.

Public health

Public health is concerned with improving the health of the population rather than treating the diseases of individual patients.

Public service agreement (PSA)

Agreement between each government department and the Treasury, which specifies how public funds will be used to ensure value for money.

PwSI

See Practitioners with special interests.