Glossary for NHS and Local Authority Finance and Governance

Glossary for NHS and Local Authority Finance and Governance (CIPFA/HFMA, 2015) outlines the role of relevant national and local NHS and government bodies. It goes on to provide a glossary of terms used frequently in relation to finance and governance in the NHS and local government. It is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage – instead, it focuses on key terms that it is helpful for everyone to understand when working collaboratively.

As health and local government work increasingly closely to deliver public services centred on the service user, all finance professionals need to develop an open and transparent partnership with colleagues across organisations and sectors.

The greatest success will come when everyone has a shared understanding of what is being discussed and what needs to be achieved. This requires clarity of the definitions and terms used. Financial regimes, cultures and terminology differ between health and local government – therein lies the potential for confusion. This document is intended to address these issues.