Glossary
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social care
- This term covers a range of services provided to help people maintain their independence and lead fulfilling lives. Services can be provided by councils, the private sector or the voluntary sector. Users include older people, disabled people, people who use mental health services, children, and young people. People receive these services in their own homes or in residential care, as well as through day centres.
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specialty
- Specialties are areas of medicine that require particular sets of knowledge, skills and experience. Once a doctor has completed their Foundation training, they can apply for training in a particular specialty. There are currently 61 specialties approved by the GMC.
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ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4
- The stages of specialty training (ST) required in postgraduate medical training programmes.
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sub-specialty
- A narrow field of study or work within a specialty. There are 35 approved sub-specialties within the 61 specialties approved by the GMC.
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supply model
- See workforce supply model.
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tool
- On this website, a tool or toolkit is a resource that allows you solve a particular problem or learn more about a particular topic. An interactive element is often involved: for example, you may be asked to complete a series of steps, or answer a series of questions, to identify a particular solution.
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toolkit
- See tool.
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visiting training number (VTN)
- A VTN is similar to a national training number (NTN), but is awarded to doctors entering a training programme who do not have permanent right of residence in the UK.
See also: National Training Number (NTN). -
weighted capitation formula
- The weighted capitation formula determines PCTs' target shares of available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of healthcare for populations with similar healthcare need, and to reduce avoidable health inequalities.
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workforce development
- Increasing the skills, qualifications or experience of a particular workforce.
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workforce planning
- Effective workforce planning anticipates potential future imbalances between the supply and demand for different skills in time for action to be taken (Mullins, 1996).
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workforce supply model
- A model containing data on the projected supply of a given group of staff, for example, a medical specialty or healthcare profession.
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Working Time Directive (WTD)
- The EU Working Time Directive, under which adult workers cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours a week on average. Adults can choose to opt out of the 48-hour limit.