| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A&E / ED | Accident and Emergency, now usually called the Emergency Department |
| ARCP | Annual Review of Competence Progression, the yearly review of a doctor in training |
| AKT | Applied Knowledge Test, the knowledge part of the UK Medical Licensing Assessment |
| BNF | British National Formulary |
| CCT | Certificate of Completion of Training |
| CKS | Clinical Knowledge Summaries |
| CPD | Continuing professional development |
| CPSA | Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment, the practical part of the licensing assessment |
| DBS | Disclosure and Barring Service check |
| DNACPR | Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation decision |
| FY1 / FY2 | Foundation Year 1 and 2 |
| Gillick competence | The ability of a person under 16 to consent to treatment if they understand it |
| GMC | General Medical Council, the regulator of doctors |
| GP | General practitioner (family doctor) |
| IHS | Immigration Health Surcharge |
| LED | Locally employed doctor |
| MDT | Multidisciplinary team |
| NHS | National Health Service |
| NICE | National Institute for Health and Care Excellence |
| OSCE | Objective structured clinical examination |
| Oriel | The online system for recruitment to training posts |
| PLAB | Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test |
| Registrar | A doctor in specialty training, usually from ST3 or ST4 |
| Revalidation | The five-year process by which a doctor shows they remain fit to practise |
| SAS doctor | Specialty and specialist doctor, a senior non-training doctor |
| SBA | Single best answer, a multiple-choice question style |
| SHO | Senior house officer (older term still widely used for junior doctors) |
| SIGN | Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network |
| UKMLA | UK Medical Licensing Assessment |
| Trust | An NHS organisation that runs hospitals or services (in Scotland and Wales, health boards) |
General education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Guidance changes: confirm with the official sources. Not medical, legal or immigration advice.