Explanations
Navigation for staff section
If you need more detailed explanations about any of the terms mentioned in this practice profile please follow the links to the pages listed below.
We have also provided a list of medical qualifications and an explanation of the practice contracts.
- Role of General Practitioners in the NHS
- How the NHS works
- Organisational structure of the NHS
- How to make a compliment or complain about NHS services
Qualifications | Practice Contracts | National RegistrationRules
Qualifications
Doctors' qualifications explained
Basic medical qualifications
The Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees are the basic medical qualifications of doctors awarded by Universities. The qualifications may be written in different ways:
- MBBCh - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
- MBChB - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
- MBChirB - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
- MBBS - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Alternative basic medical qualifications are awarded by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons. These are:
- LRCP - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians
- LRCS - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons
Other academic qualifications
Doctors may extend their academic studies with other qualifications:
- BSc - Bachelor of Science - a basic science degree
- MD and PhD (Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy) are higher degrees in Medicine and Science awarded for Research work carried out over a minimum of three years.
Higher medical and surgical qualifications
The Medical Royal Colleges make awards at several levels for doctors who undertake further specialist training. Doctors may undertake a short specialist course and be awarded a Diploma. Diplomas include:
- Dip Av Med - Diploma in Aviation Medicine
- DCH - Diploma in Child Health
- DFFP - Diploma Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Medicine
- Dip Occ Med - Diploma in Occupational Medicine
- Dip Orthopaedic medicine (treatment of diseased or injured bones)
- Dip Rheumatology (study of disease causing inflammation, pain and stiffening joints)
- Dip Therapeutics- Diploma in the use of drugs in the practice of medicine
- DRCOG - Diploma Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- DPM or Dip Pall - Diploma in Palliative Medicine
- Dip Ther - Diploma in Therapeutics
- DDerm - Diploma in Dermatology
- Dip Sports Medicine - Diploma in Sports Medicine
- Dip PCR - Diploma in Primary Care Rheumatology
- DipIMC - Diploma in immediate care
More extended study and examination leads to Membership of a Medical Royal College. Examples of qualifications include:
- MFFM - Member of the Faculty of Family Medicine at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
- MRCGP - Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
- MRCOG - Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- MRCP - Member of the Royal College of Physicians
- MRCS - Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
Doctors may go on to become a Fellow of a Royal College. Qualifications include:
- FRCGP - Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
- FRCP - Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
- FRCS - Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
Nurses' qualifications
- RGN - Registered General Nurse
- SRN - State Registered Nurse
- RSCN - Registered Sick Children's Nurse
- ENB - English National Board
- A51 - Specialist Practitioner (General Practice) e.g. Nurse practitioner or Nurse clinician
- NVQ - National Vocational Qualification
- RMN - Registered Mental Nurse
- RM - Registered Midwife
Patient Information and Data Protection
We use computers extensively in the practice to record information about patients and their medical conditions. Some of this information we obtain from you personally and some is obtained from the NHS and other organisations. Such information is essential so that you can receive proper care and treatment. As the need arises, we also share some of the information we hold with health authorities, hospitals and other healthcare organisations.
All our staff are trained to understand the need for confidentiality, and we take care not to disclose information to anyone who is not authorised to see it, even to members of your own family. Normally, we seek your permission to disclose information to a third party, unless we believe it is in your interests or the interests of public health or safety that the information is disclosed, or unless we are required to do so by law, and then only the minimum necessary.
Whenever possible, information is anonymised or coded to avoid unnecessary disclosure. Patients have the right to object to or complain about any disclosures of their medical records.
Patients can have access to their medical records under the Data Protection Act 1998. There is a fee of up to £50 for access under this Act. If you need to see your medical records you should contact our receptionist who will make an appropriate appointment.
The Practice’s Publication Scheme as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will shortly be available from our website. In the meantime, please ask one of our receptionists for assistance with your query.
Home | Practice Team | Opening Hours | Appointments | New Patients | How Can We Help? | Dispensary
Surveys | Private Fees | Common Illnesses | Travel Advice | Useful Numbers | Explanations | Health Information
This website was designed and built by Yellow Creative Ltd as a GP Websites service.
Copyright © 2008 Yellow Creative Ltd. All rights reserved
|
