VISITING HOSPITAL

All hospital visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask. Expand this message for information about visiting hospital.

Last updated:
13 March 2023

Some visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury hospitals and health facilities remain in place, but we have relaxed others.

There is still a heightened risk to vulnerable people in hospital and so we recommend all people wear a mask when visiting any of our facilities and follow other advice designed to keep patients, staff and  visitors safe.

To keep everybody safe:

  • Visitors or support people must not visit our facilities if they are unwell. Do not visit if you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and haven’t completed your isolation period.
  • Patients may have more than one visitor, except in some situations such as multi-bed rooms where it can cause overcrowding.
  • Surgical/medical masks are recommended to be worn at all sites. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • For Specialist Mental Health Services everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a face mask in all inpatient areas and areas where consumers are receiving care (i.e. community appointments, home-visits, transporting people). Discretion may be applied in cases where masks impair your ability to communicate effectively.
  • Visitors must not eat or drink in multibed rooms because of the increased risk when multiple people remove their face mask in the same space.
  • Hand sanitiser is available and must be used.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

Visiting patients with COVID-19

  • People can visit patients who have COVID-19 but they must wear an N95 mask – this will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • Other methods of communication will be facilitated e.g. phone, Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp etc where visits aren’t possible.

All of our Hospitals

Visiting hours for our hospitals have returned to pre COVID-19 hours with the exception of Christchurch Women’s Hospital.

All visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask.

Parents/caregivers are able to be with their child in hospital and visitors are now allowed, except for the Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day stay where just one parent/caregiver is able to attend their appointment with their child. Exceptions by special arrangement only.

Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.

More COVID-19 information

Glossary of health related terminology

This page contains a glossary of terminology, jargon, acronyms and abbreviations used by Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury​.

Suggesting new words for the glossary

If you would like to suggest a new word or amendment to the glossary, please click the Is there something wrong with this page? link at the bottom of this page and fill out the form.

Usage of abbreviations

Te Whatu Ora staff who wish to use abbreviations in formal documentation should consult our internal policies and procedures for instructions about correct usage.

 Term Description
AAarranged admission
ABC strategy for smoking cessationAsk, Brief advice, Cessation support
ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga WharaCrown Entity providing comprehensive 24 hour, no-fault personal accident cover for all New Zealanders
ACMAssociated Clinical Manager
ACNMAssociate Charge Nurse Manager
ACSAdult Community Service (Mental Health )
Acute CareThe provision of appropriate, timely, acceptable and effective management of conditions with sudden onset and rapid progression that require attention.
ADLsactivities of daily living. For example, showering/bathing, dressing, toileting, home management tasks.
ADMSAcute Demand Management Services
AIRThe Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR)
AKP (Aukati Kaipaipa)Smoking cessation support for Maori
ALAnnual Leave
ALACThe former Alcohol Liquor Advisory Council, now merged with Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) and part of the Te Hiringa Hauora/Health Promotion Agency (HPA).
ALOS (Average Length of Stay)Sum of bed days for patients discharged in the period (ie lengths of stay) divided by the number of discharges for the period.
AMAU (Acute Medical Assessment Unit) now known a Medical Assessment Unit (MA)Inpatient unit at Christchurch Hospital
Ambulatory Sensitive AdmissionsHospitalisation or death due to causes which could have been avoided by preventative or therapeutic programme
AMI (Acute Myocardial Infarction)Heart attack. Damage to heart muscle that results typically from the partial or complete blocking of a coronary artery.
AODAlcohol and Other Drug
APLAppetite for Life
ARC (Aged Residential Care)Age related residential care
ASH (Ambulatory Sensitive Hospital Admissions)Hospitalisation or death due to causes which could have been avoided by preventative or therapeutic programme
ASMSAssociation of Salaried Medical Specialist
AT&R (Assessment Treatment and Rehabilitation)The unit provides assessment, treatment & rehabilitation for people with an intellectual disability with significant challenging behaviour.
AUTAuckland University of Technology
B4Sc (Before School Checks)The final core WellChild/Tamariki Ora check children receive at age 4. It is free and includes vision, hearing, oral health, height and weight and allows health concerns to be identified and addressed early in a child's development, giving them the best possible start for school and later life.
BAGBusiness Advisory Group
BDUBusiness Development Unit
BFHIBaby Friendly Hospitals Initiative
BIBAbrought in by ambulance
BIC (Brief Intervention Co-ordination Service)Also known as a Brief Intervention Counselling. Provides people with mild to moderate mental health concerns up to 5 session of free psychological intervention from their general practice teams, with the possibility of onward referral to a related community agency.
BPblood pressure
B/RBedrest
bxbiopsy
c/fCompared with
c/ocomplains of
c/wconsistent with
CABGCoronary Artery Bypass Graft 
CADSCommunity Alcohol and Drug Services
CAFChild, Adolescent and Family Service
CAFEmCAF Emergency Team
CAFLinkCAF Single point of entry
CAFIUChild and Family Inpatient Unit
CALDCulturally And Linguistically Diverse (populations)
Canterbury HealthInfoA Canterbury wide, electronic, information system that provides health information for the general public.
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure)Spending on land, buildings and larger items of equipment.
CASPCareer and Salary Progression
CBACCommunity Based Assessment Centre
CBMSCommunity Based Musculoskeletal Service
CCC (Central Coordination Centre)Coordinate older persons health services, District Nursing, respite care etc
CCCCCanterbury Care Coordination Centre
CCCT (Canterbury Community Care Trust)Pegasus, Nurse Maude and Southlink organisations working as one group to provide Acute Demand Services
CCN (Canterbury Clinical Network)An alliance of Canterbury health professionals, including GPs, secondary care specialists, practice nurses, community nurses, physiotherapists, community pharmacists, M?ori and Pacific health providers, PHOs, IPAs and the DHB. The CCN was established with the explicit inclusion of the DHB (as the funder) as a key partner to enable a ‘whole of system’ approach to service performance.
CCPG (Canterbury Community Pharmacy Group)Canterbury Community Pharmacy Group (CCPG) is an organisation representing pharmacists in Canterbury, New Zealand
CCPS (Client claim payment system)Healthpac
CDClinical Director
CDHBCanterbury District Health Board, also known as Canterbury DHB, the former organisation managing health services in Canterbury, and replaced by Te Whatu Ora in 2022.
CDMChronic Disease Management ?
CE Act (Crown Entities Act)The Act which governs Crown Entities set out in 2004
CEACollective Employment Agreement
CFA (Crown Funding Agreement)An agreement by the Crown to provide funding in return for the provision of, or arranging the provision of, specified services
chemochemotherapy
CHLCanterbury Health Labs
CHMGChristchurch Hospital Management Group
CHOC (Children's Haematology and Oncology Centre)Children's Haematology and Oncology Centre
CICanterbury Initiative
CISClinical Information Systems
CMClinical Manager
CMEContinuing Medical Education
CMHTCommunity Mental Health Teams
CMIChristchurch Medical Imaging
CMOChief Medical Officer
CNClinical Networks
CNMCharge Nurse Manager
CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist)Registered nurses with an advanced degree in a particular area of patient care e.g. neurosurgery clinical nurse specialist
Community and Public HealthCommunity and Public Health provides public health services to those people living in the Canterbury, South Canterbury and West Coast regions.
ConcertoConcerto is the most important module in Canterbury DHB’s CIS.  It is a single sign-on physician portal that connects multiple hospital information systems, to provide a secure 'single patient view' of data across all clinical applications. Concerto also provides a secure and consistent  environment that supports the ways that physicians interact with data and eliminates the need to sign-on multiple times to separate applications to view patient records.  At Canterbury DHB, this module provides the front page for access to clinical results system (Éclair) and other clinical documentation modules such as PACS (Radiology images).
contcontinuous/continued
Continuants of CareExists when a person can access responsive services matched to their level of need at any time throughout their illness or recovery.
CoPChief of Psychiatry
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)A progressive disease process that commonly results from smoking. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterised by difficulty breathing, wheezing and a chronic cough
CORDChronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease
CORNSChild Outreach Nursing Services
COTSClinical Occupational Therapy Specialist
CPAC (Clinical Prioritisation Assessment Criteria)National criteria
CPAM (Community Pharmacy Anticoagulation Management)The Community Pharmacy Anticoagulation Management (CPAM) Service uses international normalised ratio (INR) point-of-care testing and adjusts warfarin doses with the aid of a decision support system in a pharmacy.
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)Prescribed treatment for patients diagnosed as having Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
CPH (Community and Public Health)A division of the Canterbury DHB that provides public health services
CPHAC (Community and Public Health Advisory Committee)CPH (AC) is a statutory advisory committee to the board and meets Meets jointly with the Disability Support Advisory Committee. This was disestablished in 2022.
CPIConsumer Price Index
CPITChristchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, now ARA.
CQIContinued Quality Improvement
CRCrisis Resolution (Specialist Mental Health Service)
CREST (Community Rehabilitation Enablement Support Team)A community-based supported discharge team that facilitates earlier discharge from hospital to appropriate home-based rehabilitation services and will be expanded to support people who can be rehabilitated in their homes to avoid hospital admission
CRISS (Cardio-Respiratory Integrated Specialist Services)Cardio-Respiratory Integrated Specialist Services (CRISS) is part of the Cardiology Department based at Christchurch Hospital.
CRGCanterbury Radiology Group
CRMSCommunity Referral Management Service
CROCardio-Respiratory Outreach Service
CRUClinical Research Unit
Crown EntitiesA generic term for a diverse range of entities referred to in the Crown Entities Act 2004. Crown entities are legally separate from the Crown and operate at arms length from the responsible or shareholding Minister; they are included in the annual financial statements of the Government.
CSCCommunity Services Card
CSUClinical Services Unit
CSWCommunity Support Workers
CSWSClinical Social Worker Specialist
CTA (Clinical Training Agency)The CTA provides funding for Post Entry Clinical Training programmes, are nationally recognised by the profession and/or health sector and meet a national health service skill requirement rather than a local employer need.
CTCClinical Team Coordinator
CTOCompulsory Treatment Order/Community Treatment Order
CVD (Cardiovascular Disease)Cardiovascular diseases are diseases affecting the heart and circulatory system. They include ischaemic heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and other forms of vascular and heart disease.
CVRPCommunity Violence Reduction Project
CWD (Case Weighted Discharge)Relative measure of a patient's utlisation of resources.
CWHChristchurch Women's Hospital
CYFChild Youth & Family now replaced by Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children
CXRchest X-ray
DAADesignated Audit Agency
DAHDirector of Allied Health
DAMHSDirector of Area Mental Health Services (Mental Health Act)
DAP (District Annual Plan)This document sets out what the DHB intends to do over the year to advance the outcomes set out in the District Strategic Plan, the funding proposed for these outputs, the expected performance of the DHB provider arm and the expected capital investment and financial and performance forecasts.
DARsDiabetes Annual Reviews
DeSMACESDemand Side Management Analysis and Clinical Education Services?
DeSMAE (Demand Side Management Analysis and Education)The objective of the Demand Side Management - Analysis and Education (DeSMAE) Service is to develop a whole-of-system framework for pharmaceuticals, laboratory and imaging, utilising demand side (volume) management, supply side (provider agreements/pricing) management and the development of new referral pathways via the Canterbury Initiative.
Determinants of HealthThe range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that determine the health status of individuals or populations.
DGDirector General
DHBDistrict Health Board
DHBSSDistrict Health Board Shared Services
DIADepartment of Internal Affairs
DiagDiagnosis
DNAs (Do Not Attends)When patients don't turn up
DNMDuty Nurse Manager
DNWs (Do Not Waits)When patients leave before being seen
DOMDirector of Midwifery
DON (Director of Nursing)(E) DON is Executive Director of Nursing
DOSA (Day of Surgery Admission)A patient who is admitted on the same day on which they are scheduled to have their elective survey. The admission can be as either a day case or an inpatient.
d/pDay patient
DRG (Diagnostic Related Group)The grouping of patients in accordance with their diagnosis
DSAC (Disability Support Advisory Committee)Meets jointly with Community Public Health's Advisory Committee in Canterbury DHB
DSP (District Strategic Plan)Identifies how the Canterbury DHB will fulfill its objectives and functions over the next five to ten years by identifying the significant internal and external issues that impact on the DHB and affect its ability to fulfill its mandate and purpose, acknowledging societal outcomes and identifying appropriate system outcomes as they relate to DHB population outcomes and outlining major planning and capability building.
DSS (Disability Support Services)Services provided for people who have been identified as having a disability, which is likely to continue for a minimum of six months and results in a reduction of independent function to the extent that ongoing support is required
DxDischarge
EAPEmployee Assistance Programme
ECECEarly Childhood Education Centre
ECPEmergency Contraception Pill
EDEmergency Department
EIElectives Initiative
EMT (Executive Management Team)Senior Management Team for the Canterbury DHB who report directly to the Chief Executive
ENEnrolled Nurse
EOCEmergency Operations Centre
EOIExpression of Interest
EpisodeIn relation to hospital admissions; An Episode is the period of engagement directly related to an admission to a single hospital admission.
EREmployment Relations
ERAEmployment Relations Authority
ERMSElectronic Referral Management System
ESPIs (Elective Services Patient Flow Indicators)Developed by the Ministry to assess whether or not DHBs are on the right track with the Government policies on elective services
ETDEstimated time of departure
Exclusive breastfeedingThe infant has never, to the mother’s knowledge, had any water, formula or other liquid or solid food. Only breast milk, from the breast or expressed, and prescribed medicines have been given from birth.
FCTForensic Community Team
FFT (Future Funding Track)Annual percentage price increase to DHBs from the Ministry
FMHSForensic Mental Health Service
Follow-upsFurther assessments by hospital specialists.
FPSCFinance procurement and supply chain
FSA (First Specialist Assessment)Outpatients only - first time a patient is seen by a doctor foro a consultation in that speciality for that reason, this does not include procedures, nurse appointments, diagnostic appointments or pre-admisson visits
F/Ufollow up
FTE (Full Time Equivalent)An employee works an average minimum of 40 ordinary hours per week on an ongoing basis
GAgeneral anaesthetic
General Practice Team (GPT)Includes practice nurses etc as well as General Practitioners (GPs)
Genetic Health Service New Zealand (GHSNZ)Genetic Health Service New Zealand (GHSNZ) helps assist in diagnosing genetic conditions and supports people with genetic conditions.
GMGeneral Manager
GMSGeneral Medical Subsidy
GPGeneral Practitioner
GPL (General Practice Liaison)Canterbury Initiative function
GUOTGenito Urinary Operating Theatre
Gynaegynaecology
H&DC Code (Code of Health & Disability Services Consumers Rights)Compliance with the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 and health and Disability Commissioner Regs 1996
H&Ds (Health and Disability Services)Compliance standards for hospital in patients and residential care service
HACHospital Advisory Committee. This was disestablished in 2022.
HbA1cHaemoglobin A1c, also known as glycated haemoglobin. The level of HbA1c reflects the average blood glucose level over the past 3 months
HBIHospital Benchmark Information
HBSSHome based support service. A service that arranges home based support for patients.
HCSHealth Connect South
HCSSHome Community Support Services
HDCHealth and Disability Commissioner / Te Toihau Hauora Hauātanga
HDUHigh Dependency Unit
HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living 'Action Plan')This plan provides us with the platform to implement the national HEHA strategy at a local level
Healthline 0800 611 116 Healthline 0800 611 116 provides a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over-the-phone health service you can call for free health advice, information and treatment from professional healthcare providers.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand - Te Whatu ora (Health NZ) is the organisation established in 2022 to lead the day-to-day running of the health system across New Zealand, with functions delivered at local, district, regional and national levels.
Health OutcomesA change in the health status of an individual, group or population which is attributable to a planned programme or series of programmes, regardless of whether such a programme was intended to change health status.
Health Workforce Advisory CommitteeCommittee who advises the Minister on how to ensure an adequate and responsive professional health workforce
HealthPathwaysA Canterbury wide, electronic, information system that provides referral guidelines, best practice information, etc, for all health providers.
HEAT (Heat Equity Assessment Tool)The HEAT Tool provides questions to assist people working in the health sector to consider how particular inequalities in health have come about, and where the effective intervention points are to tackle them.
HEHA (Healthy Eating Health Action 'Strategy')HEHA is the Ministry’s strategic approach to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and achieving healthy weight for all New Zealanders.
HHSHospital & Health Services
HIA (Health Impact Assessments)A Healthy Christchurch initiative
HINHealth Information Database
HIS-NZ (Health Information Strategy - New Zealand)The Government's Health Information Strategy for all District Health Boards
HLC (Hospital Level Care)Used in Aged Residential Care settings
HNZ (Health Needs Assessment)A processdesigned to establish the health requirements of a particular population
HOPSHealth of Older People Strategy
HPCA (Health Practitioners Competency Assurance)The purpose of the HPCA Act, which came into force on 18 September 2004, is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practice their professions.
HPI (Health Practitioner Index)A comprehensive source of trusted information about health practitioners for the NZ health and disability sector. The HIP uniquely identifies health providers and organisations. This will allow health providers who manage health information electronically to do so with greater security. It will help our health sector to find better and more secure ways to access and transfer health-related information.
HPOHealth Protection Officer
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)A national immunisation programme for HPV started in September 2007 and aims to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.
HRHuman Resources
HRHeart rate
HRCHealth Research Council
HRISHuman Resource Information System
HRSSHuman Resources Shared Services
HSS (Hospital and Specialist Services Division)The provider arm of the Canterbury DHB
hrlyhourly
htheight
HT (Health Targets)Ministry's Health Targets
HUHCHigh User Health Card
ICDInternational Classification of Diseases
ICUIntensive Care Unit
IDF (Inter District Flow)Service provided by a DHB to a patient whose 'place of residence' falls under the region of another DHB. Under population based funding (PBF) each DHB is funded on the basis of its resident population therefore the DHB providing the IDF will recover the costs of the IDF from the DHB who was funded for that patient.
IEAIndividual Employment Agreement
IFHCIntegrated Family Health Centres (or Care)
IFHSIntegrated Family Health Service?
IHD (Ischaemic Heart Disease)Includes heart attack and related heart problems caused by narrowed coronary arteries and thus less blood and oxygen reaching the heart. Also called coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease.
IntegrationCombine into a whole’ or ‘complete by addition of parts.
InterRAI (International Resident Assessment Instrument)Comprehensive geriartric assessment tool
IPInpatient
IPAIndependent Practitioners Association
IPACIndependent Practitioner
IPCInfection Prevention & Control
IRIndustrial Relations
ISSP (Information Services Strategic Plan)The Canterbury DHB's plan for information services - in line with the NZ Health Information Strategy
IUCDIntrauterine Contraceptive Device
Iwi (Māori)An extended Māori kinship group, tribe, nation, people, nationality, race - often refers to a large group of people descended from a common ancestor and associated with a distinct territory.
JACJoint Action Committee
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measurements, agreed to beforehand, that reflect the critical success factors of an organisation.
KPP (Knowing the People Planning Project)The Programme identifies those people with enduring mental illness and tracks their progress against ten elements of recovery from employment status through to use of hospital services.
L&D (Learning & Development)Part of Human Resources
LCP (Liverpool Care Pathway)The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) is an international programme adopted nationally, which is currently being run as a pilot programme in Canterbury. The LCP is a multi-professional pathway that provides a template for best practice in the care of dying patients and their families in a variety of settings, focusing on achieving quality of life.
Lead Maternity CarerLMC
LEAP (Late Effects Assessment Programme)LEAP is a clinic (and programme) for children and adolescents with cancer established to help monitor and support children and adolescents who have completed active cancer therapy. See our LEAP page for more information.
LINACLinear Accelerator?
LLOLiquor Licensing Officer
LMC (Lead Maternity Carer)A self employed midwife who has a contract with the MOH to provide maternity services. Canterbury’s LMCs each have an Access Agreement with Canterbury’s maternity facilities.
LMCOLead Maternity Carer
LNALearning Needs Analysis
LOS (Length of Stay)LOS is the time from admission to discharge, less any time spent on leave. It is normal to exclude boarder patients when calculating length of stay.
LREGLocal RMO Engagement Group
LRGLaboratory Reference Group
LSHLong Stay Hospital
LTCCP (Long Term Council Community Plan)Plan that sets out the type of community the people of a region would like to live in, and the things they would like to see for their community. It shows how the Council (for that region) and other organisations will work to build that community.
LTSFLong Term System Framework
maneIn the morning
manipmanipulation
MECAMulti Employer Collective Agreement
MEDMinistry of Economic Development
medsmedications
Medical Assessment Unit (MA)Inpatient unit at Christchurch Hospital formerly known as AMAU
MenB (Meningococcal B)Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection. It causes severe illnesses including: meningitis (an infection of membranes that cover the brain) and septicaemia (a serious infection in the blood). There are several different strains of bacteria which cause meningococcal disease including A, B and C.
MHERCMental Health Education and Resource Centre
MHINC (Medical Health Information National Collection)The national database of mental health information held by the NZ Health Information Service to support policy formation, monitoring and research
MH-SMART (Mental Health Standard Measure of Assessment and Recovery)The aim of the MH-SMART initiative is to support recovery by promoting and facilitating the development of an outcomes-focused culture in the mental health sector.  The principle  of achieving this will be by implementing a suite of standard tools to measure changes in the health status of mental health service users that is responsive to the needs of Maori and other cultures within a recovery framework.
mLMillilitre
MLWUMedical Laboratory Workers Union
MMPOMidwifery and Maternity Providers Organisation
MMRMeasles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine
MoHMinistry of Health
MorbidityIllness, sickness.
MortalityDeath.
MoUMemorandum of Understanding
MOWMeals on Wheels
MPDSMaori Provider Development Scheme
MPIAMinistry of Pacific Island Affairs
MSDMinistry of Social Development
MSOManagement Services Organisation
MT4CMaking Time for Caring
MURMedicines Use Review and Adherence Support
NASC (Needs Assessment & Service Co-ordination)NASC assists older people with long-term disabilities/health problems (i.e. longer than 6 months) to remain living at home, safely and independently, for as long as possible. Needs Assessors complete an assessment of needs with the older person, and Service Coordinators use this assessment to develop care packages of support services to assist at home.
National Minimum Data SetA national collection of public and private hospital discharge information, including clinical information, for inpatients and day patients.
National Public Health ServiceThe National Public Health Service brings together functions from Te Hiringa Hauora, the Ministry of Health, and public health units into a unified operational service.
National Screening Unit (NSU)The National Screening Unit (NSU) is responsible for the safety, effectiveness, and quality of organised screening programmes in New Zealand.

The NSU is part of the Population Health and Prevention directorate within Te Whatu Ora.
NBMnil by mouth
NCNurse Consultant
NCEANational Certificate of Educational Attainment
NCSPNational Cervical Screening Programme
NDNursing Director
NGONon Government Organisation
NHINational Health Index
NHI (National Health Index)The NHI number is a unique identifier that is assigned to every person who uses health and disability support services in NZ. A person’s NHI number is stored on the NHI along with that person’s demographic details. The NHI and associated NHI numbers are used to help with the planning, co-ordination and provision of health and disability support services across NZ.
NHSNational Health Service (UK)
NICUNeonatal Intensive Care Unit
NIRNational Immunisation Register
NIR (National Immunisation Register)The NIR is a computerised information system that has been developed to hold immunisation details of NZ children and assist to improve immunisation rates.
NLTTNurse Led Telephone Triage
Non-Government OrganisationsThere are many ways of defining NGOs. In the context of the relationship between the Health and Disability NGOs and the Canterbury DHB, NGOs include independent community and iwi/Maori organisations operating on a not-for-profit basis, which bring a value to society that is distinct from both Government and the market. In reality this will mean that any profits are put back into the organisation, rather than distributed to shareholders.
NREGNational RMO Engagement Group
NRTNicotine Replacement Therapy
NZ Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA)
NZBS (NZ Blood Service)Manages the donation, collection, processing, and supply of blood, controlled human substances, and related or incidental matters
NZCOMNZ College of Midwives
NZCOMNew Zealand College of Midwives
NZDep (NZ Deprivation Index)The New Zealand Deprivation Index is a small area deprivation index, based on the residential address of an individual. The NZDep Index uses the level of 10 variables to reflect seven dimensions of deprivation: income, transport, living space, home ownership, employment, qualifications, and support. Decile 1 is least deprived, Decile 10 is most deprived.
NZGGNZ Guidelines Group
NZHIS (NZ Health Information Service)A group within the Ministry responsible for the collection and dissemination of health-related data. NZHIS has as its foundation the goal of making accurate information readily available and accessible in a timely manner throughout the health sector.
NZMANZ Medical Association
NZNONZ Nurses Organisation
NZPHDNZ Public Health & Disability Act
NZTENZ Trade & Enterprise
OAGOffice of the Auditor General
Obsobservations
Occ HealthOccupational Health
OccTherOccupational Therapy
OEon examination
OIAOfficial Information Act
Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH)Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH) formally known as Psychiatric Services for the Elderly (PSE)
opoperation
OPoutpatient
OPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)A progressive disease process that most commonly results from smoking. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterised by difficulty breathing, wheezing and a chronic cough.
OPH (SS)Older Persons' Health (Specialist Service)
OPMHOlder Persons Mental Health (OPMH) formally known as Psychiatric Services for the Elderly (PSE)
Oranga TamarikiOranga Tamariki, also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offenders and children of the State.
OSAObstructive Sleep Apnoea
OTOccupational Therapy or Occupational Therapist
OTOperating Theatre
Ppulse
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems)A picture archiving and communications system is a versatile system that enables the transfer of digital images and patient information throughout the organisation. In broad terms, PACS is a technology, system and process for handling medical images (X-rays, CT, ultrasound etc) without the need for film. Images are stored on computer as digital information and displayed on computer screens for viewing.
PACUPost Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Paed OncPaediatric Oncology
PaedsPaediatrics or Paediatricians
PAXPassenger
PBF (Population Based Funding)Involves using a formula to allocate each DHB a fair share of the available resources so that each Board has an equal opportunity to meet the health and disability needs of its population.
PCOPrimary Care Organisation
PCTPharmaceutical Cancer Treatment
PDPosition Description
Period of Care The period of care covers the time from when the presenting referral is accepted through to the closure of the presenting and all other related referrals. E.g., a multi trauma patient arriving at the emergency department becomes an inpatient, may have surgery, follow-up treatments and rehabilitation. If another condition is discovered e.g., diabetes, this should be treated as another presenting referral, and thereby another period of active care.
PGPersonal Grievance
PHARMAC (Pharmaceutical Management Agency) Te Pātaka WhaiorangaAgency which secures, for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals, the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the amount of funding provided.
PHO (Primary Health Organisation)PHOs encompass the range of primary care and practitioners and are funded by DHBs to provide of a set of essential primary health care services to those people who are enrolled in that PHO.
PHO PPPPrimary Health Organisation Performance Programme
PHxpast history
PICCperipherally inserted central catheter
PMS (Patient Management Systems)PMS (secondary-care), or Practice Management System (primary-care) used to keep track of patients. In secondary care the focus is usually on tracking the admissions, discharges or transfers of patients, in primary care, the focus is on maintenance of the register.
PP (Pacific Peoples)The population of Pacific Island ethnic origin (for example, Tongan, Niuean, Fijian, Samoan, Cook Island Maori, and Tokelauan) incorporating people of Pacific Island ethnic origin born in NZ as well as overseas.
PPDSPacific Provider Development Scheme
PPEPersonal protective equipment
Primary birthing facilityThis is a facility that provides inpatient services for labour and birth and the immediate postnatal period.
Primary CarePrimary Care means essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound, culturally appropriate and socially acceptable methods.  It is universally accessible to people in their communities, involves community participation, is integral to, and a central function of, the country’s health system, and is the first level of contact with the health system.
PRIMEPrimary Response in Medical Emergency
PRIMHDProgramme for the Integration of Mental Health Data
PSAPublic Service Association
PSAID (Psychiatric Services for Adults with Intellectual Disability)The PSAID outpatient team provides comprehensive psychiatric assessment and treatment ?including outpatient consultations and case management. 
PSEPsychiatric Services for the Elderly has now changed its name to Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH)
Public HealthThe science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health and efficiency through organised community effort.  A collective effort to identify and address the unacceptable realities that result in preventable and avoidable health outcomes, and it is the composite of efforts and activities that are carried out by people committed to these ends.
QFARCQuality, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. This was disestablished in 2022.
QIC (Quality Improvement Committee)The Quality Improvement Committee is a statutory committee established under the NZ Public Health and Disability Act.
QIPPSQuality Improvement Programme Planning Systems
QuintileDeprivation quintiles divide areas by addresses to analyse variations in health between deprived and affluent sections of the population. Q1 is the lowest deprivation and Q5 is the highest. Q0 is unknown.
RATRapid Antigen Test
RCPHORural Canterbury Primary Health Organisation
RCSP (Regional Clinical Service Plans)Collaborative plan by DHBs in a region (Northern, Midland, Central, Southern) describing the future configuration of services across that region.
RDSTResident Doctors Support Team
RFPRequest for Proposal
Ring Fence (Relates to Mental Health Blueprint)Mental health funding may be ring fenced to ensure and surplus is not transferred outside of mental health.
RMO (Resident Medical Officer)This is another name for a House Officer or Registrar.
RNRegistered Nurse
RTWReturn to Work
SCNSouthern Cancer Network
Secondary birthing facilityThis is a hospital that provides inpatient and outpatient services for women and their babies who experience complications that need additional maternity care involving obstetricians, paediatricians and other specialists.
Secondary CareSpecialist care that is typically provided in a hospital setting.
SFWUService and Food Workers Union
SIAServices to Improve Access
SIHMN (South Island Mental Health Network)SIMHN is a forum of mental health representatives appointed by the six DHBs and is assisted in its work by the South Island Shared Services Agency Ltd (SISSAL).
SLSick leave
SLA (Service Level Alliance)Part of Alliance Contracting, used for Better, Sooner, More Convenient and elsewhere.
SMHSSpecialist Mental Health Service
SMService Manager
SMOSenior Medical Officer
SOI (Statement of Intent)The Statement of Intent covers three years and is the DHB’s key accountability document to Parliament.  It is a statutory obligation under the Public Finance Act and has a high level focus of key financial and non-financial objectives and targets, similar to an executive summary.
SPFService Provision Framework
SPoESingle Point of Entry. Single Point of Entry is a single point of initial contact when people are referred for certain types of mental health services.
SSCState Services Commission
SSPStatement of Service Performance
SSQS (Service specific quality specifications)Detailed in Base Provider agreement
STAT DispensingSTAT Dispensing refers to all-at-once dispensing by pharmacies.
STISexually transmitted infection
SWAGStaff Wellbeing Action Group
SWPStaff Wellbeing Programme
TAGTechnical Advisory Group
Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Control AgencyTe Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Control Agency leads and unites efforts to deliver better cancer outcomes and is accountable for ensuring transparency of progress towards the goals and outcomes in the National Cancer Action Plan 2019-2029.
Te Aka Whai OraMāori Health Authority
Te Hiringa HauoraHealth Promotion Agency (HPA)
Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga WharaAccident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
Te Mana OraCommunity and Public Health
Te Pātaka WhaiorangaThe Pharmaceutical Management Agency, better known as Pharmac,
Te Poari Hauora ō WaitahaCanterbury District Health Board (CDHB)
Te Ratonga Toto O AotearoaNew Zealand Blood Service (NZBS)
Te Tai o PoutiniWest Coast
Te Toihau Hauora HauātangaHealth and Disability Commissioner (HDC)
Te WaipounamuSouth Island
Te Whatu Ora - Health New ZealandTe Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand is the organisation established to lead the day-to-day running of the health system across New Zealand, with functions delivered at local, district, regional and national levels.
Tertiary CareVery specialised care often only provided in a smaller number of locations.
TLA (Territorial Local Authority)Local Council also known as: Regional Councils; District Councils; Territorial Local Authorities; Unitary Authorities; City Councils; Councils
TOPTermination of pregnancy
TORTerms of Reference
TOW (Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi)New Zealand's founding document.  It establishes the relationship between the Crown and Māori as tangata whenua and requires both the Crown and Māori to act reasonably toward each other and with utmost good faith.
TPMHThe Princess Margaret Hospital
TURPTransurethral resection of prostate
TWHRTe Whare Hohou Roko – Forensic Extended Rehabilitation Uni
TWMTe Whare Manaaki - Forensic Secure Unit
TWMOTe Whare Mauri Ora – Forensic Rehabilitation Unit
UCUniversity of Canterbury
UoOUniversity of Otago
UPCUser Part Charges
VCVideo Conference
VHPVisiting Health Professional
VLCAVery Low Cost Access Practices
VMRVirtual Meeting Room
WaitahaCanterbury
W&CHDWomen's and Children's Health Division
WCWest Coast
Well Child / Tamariki Ora ProgrammeThis covers eight core checks provided from birth to 5 years to check that each child is keeping well, growing and developing to their fullest potential. The checks are free.
Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled PeopleWhaikaha leads the disability support system in partnership with the community.
WOWhanau Ora
YFTYouth Forensic Team
YTD (Year to date)The 12 month period immediately prior to the date given.

Page last updated: 13 December 2022

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