Health and social care services often use words and initials (acronyms) that may feel confusing. These can be about motor neurone disease, Kennedy’s disease or the health and social care systems that give support.
We have provided lists below to help. You can look up a meaning by an acronym or by a word.
An acronym is a where someone uses the initial letters or syllables in a phrase or word for short. Such as NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
Acronyms can be used on their own, such as NHS, or after the full word or phrase, such as Occupational therapist (OT). There are many thousands of acronyms, so we have included the most common here. If you cannot find the one you need in our list, do ask the professional or organisation who used it for an explanation.
