Following the recent Senedd election and the significant number of newly elected Members of the Senedd (MSs) now taking up their roles, the Welsh NHS Confederation has today launched a new and comprehensive health and care glossary to support understanding of the complex terminology used across the health and social care sector in Wales.
Health and social care is a highly specialised environment, with a vast range of acronyms, technical terms and sector‑specific language used daily across the system. The new glossary has been developed in conjunction with NHS leaders in Wales and our Health and Wellbeing Alliance to provide clear, accessible explanations of the most commonly used terms and abbreviations across the sector. Its purpose is to help MSs quickly familiarise themselves with the language of health and care, enabling more informed scrutiny, discussion and decision‑making from the outset of the new parliamentary term.
The glossary aims to serve as a practical resource for a wide range of stakeholders who work with, or alongside, the health and social care system in Wales. This includes partner organisations from across the UK, third sector bodies, local government colleagues and others who may encounter sector‑specific terminology in their work.
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:
“All political parties told us that improving the health and care system is a key priority. With so many newly elected Members of the Senedd, we wanted to support them and provide a tool that helps them quickly get to grips with the language of health and social care. The glossary brings together the most common terms and definitions used across the sector, supporting clearer communication and shared understanding from day one.
"Along with other materials we develop*, we hope it will be a useful reference for partners and stakeholders who regularly engage with the system and act as a basis to build further understanding of health and care in Wales.”
The glossary is available in both English (click here to view in English) and Welsh (click here to view in Welsh).
