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# Terms used in this wiki

| Term | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| Assurance | Evidence used to check that arrangements work and risks are managed. |
| Candour | Openness and honesty about care and things that go wrong; the exact obligation depends on its source and scope. |
| CQC | Care Quality Commission, the health and adult social care regulator in England. |
| DMS | Defence Medical Services. |
| DMSR | Defence Medical Services Regulator. |
| DPHC | Defence Primary Healthcare. |
| DSA | Defence Safety Authority. |
| DSA02 | Defence healthcare regulations used as a public comparison baseline. |
| DSA03 / DCOP | Defence healthcare Code of Practice supporting those regulations. |
| DHSC | Department of Health and Social Care. |
| ERA | Employment Rights Act 1996. Rights depend on the applicable provisions, status and jurisdiction. |
| GMC | General Medical Council. |
| NMC | Nursing and Midwifery Council. |
| PHEC | Pre-hospital emergency care: emergency care before arrival at hospital. |
| PIDA | Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. MOD policy extends its principles to Service personnel; that is distinct from statutory eligibility. |
| Locum | A clinician engaged to cover a role temporarily. |
| JSP | Joint Service Publication. A publication number alone does not establish its current operative text. |
| Statutory | Established by legislation. An Inquiry recommendation does not create legislation by itself. |
| Professional duty | An obligation arising through the standards of a professional regulator. |
| Provisional implication | A reasoned possible lesson or review question, not a confirmed deficiency. |
| Policy coverage | Whether a controlling policy addresses the relevant issue within its scope. |
| Implementation | What people actually do; a policy document alone does not prove it. |
| Extant | Still in force or use. Public publication alone cannot certify internal operative status. |
| SUDIC | Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy and Childhood; applicability requires the relevant guidance and setting. |

Definitions support reading rather than replace the controlling source. See the [rules and responsibilities](https://thirlwall-wiki.pages.dev/defence-comparison/index.md), [source register](https://thirlwall-wiki.pages.dev/sources/index.md) and [method](https://thirlwall-wiki.pages.dev/approach/index.md).