Flashcard

NHS Founding Date - 5 July 1948 under the NHS Act 1946, introduced by Health Minister Aneurin Bevan as the first healthcare service free at the point of delivery.

1950s NHS Reforms - Introduction of charges for prescriptions, dental care, and eye care because expenditure exceeded demand.

2000s The NHS Plan - A ten-year plan focused on increasing NHS funding, reducing patient waiting times, and improving patient choice.

2010s NHS Long-Term Plan - Focused on digital transformation, improving mental health services, and delivering personalised care.

Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) - Introduced in the 2020s to coordinate local health and social care services more effectively and reduce health inequalities.

Role of Private Sector Healthcare - Funded via private insurance or self-pay; supports the NHS with elective care, diagnostics, and reducing waiting lists.

Role of Charities in Healthcare - Provide mental health support, health education, mobile clinics for underserved groups, and discharge/social prescribing support.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) - The independent regulator of health and adult social care in England that inspects, monitors, and rates services.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - The professional regulatory body for nurses and midwives in the UK, setting standards for education, conduct, and registration.

General Medical Council (GMC) - The regulatory body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners (doctors) in the UK.

HASAWA 1974 - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: places legal duties on employers to ensure workplace safety and on employees to follow safety training.

COSHH Regulations 2002 - Control of Substances Hazardous to Health: requires employers to control, safely store, and assess risks from hazardous chemicals and biological agents.

RIDDOR 2013 - Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations: requires employers to report serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases, and near misses.

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 - Requires employers to avoid hazardous manual handling where possible, assess unavoidable risks, and provide hoist/moving training.

PPE at Work Regulations - Requires employers to provide suitable Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, aprons, masks) free of charge and train staff on proper use.

5 Steps of a Risk Assessment - 1. Identify hazards, 2. Decide who might be harmed and how, 3. Evaluate risks and decide precautions, 4. Record findings, 5. Review and update.

Hazard vs Risk - A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm (e.g., wet floor); a risk is the likelihood and severity of that harm occurring.

Employee Safety Duties - Take reasonable care of own and others' safety, cooperate with employer training, and report hazards or faulty equipment immediately.

Primary Care Services - First point of contact in the healthcare system, such as GP surgeries, community pharmacies, dentists, and opticians.

Secondary and Tertiary Care - Secondary care is hospital-based specialist treatment (e.g., A&E, maternity); tertiary care is highly specialised treatment (e.g., neurosurgery, cancer centres).