NHS Jargon Explained

Why is TALOIA bandied about in clinics and on wards? Who - or what - is DAN? If someone mentioned Practice Based Commissioning or the Standardised Mortality Ratio, would you understand what they meant? Like any specialised area, the NHS generates clouds of terms, acronyms and shorthand vital for those in the know but virtually impenetrable to outsiders or those new to healthcare. New acronyms or the jargon of areas outside their immediate expertise can be utterly baffling even to old hands. This