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Library Guides

Health Professions

Access to local NHS resources whilst on placement in an NHS funded organisation

Access to NHS libraries:

To find details for the NHS library for your current placement go to: www.hlisd.org. Contact the library or visit their website to check local arrangements. 

To search the stock available in local NHS libraries go to: www.swims.nhs.uk except Exeter Health Library – go to: http://services.exeter.ac.uk/eml/

For Paramedic Science students:

Ambulance service staff employed by ambulance services in England do have an NHS library service.  For South Western Ambulance Service it will be The Plymouth Discovery Library 

Access to library services will not end when you finish your course.  Anyone employed by or on placement with an ambulance service in England can self-register for NHS OpenAthens, giving access to your particular ambulance service’s available resources and library support throughout your employment.  Registration requires an NHS email address.  please ensure you select the correct trust i.e. the ambulance service that employs you, when you register. 

NHS Athens:

You may also be eligible for a local NHS Athens account whilst on placement in a particular trust. Please wait till you are on placement within the NHS and register from an NHS computer, stating the end-date of your placement in that trust, at:  https://register.athensams.net/nhs/ 

This will enable you to access the NHS funded national  level content as well as the majority of locally purchased content via www.library.nhs.uk (some libraries will provide additional resources via their library website)

 

Using Other Libraries

Most academic libraries will allow you to use their resources in the library as a reference items but members of the SCONUL Access scheme allow limited borrowing rights to members of other participating libraries. Most libraries can not allow access to their electronic resources, however some do operate a "walk in" service where a limited range of electronic resources are available to the general public.

You can find out on the SCONUL website which libraries you would be eligible to use and register online.