The Patients Association - Healthcare jargon buster dictionary (27 July 2022)

Summary

The Patients Association has put together a jargon buster dictionary designed to give straightforward explanations for many healthcare terms.

The document was developed by the Patients Association's lived experience advisory panel, Patient Voices Matter. During its meetings, it became clear that members didn't always know the meanings of some of the words and terms they were hearing during consultations with doctors and other healthcare professionals. Letters from the NHS were identified as a source of a lot of jargon.

You can also suggest words and phrases to add to the dictionary.