BMJ Best Practice is a point of care tool that combines the latest research evidence, guidelines and expert opinion. Funded by Health Education England, and free to all NHS staff, it contains thousands of clinical topics and over 6000 clinical guidelines, plus nearly 500 patient leaflets.
Visible Body creates highly visual and interactive content for students and professionals who need to understand and communicate human anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
Please note, Visible Body is currently only available to use with a Trust device or via a Trust network.
We have a small collection of clinical skills equipment available for loan, including:
If you would like to reserve these, please email us at library@uhbw.nhs.uk. Please note, this equipment is only available in Bristol.
Both Libraries at UHBW have a range of IT facilities, including:
The Knowledge and Discovery Hub pools together all of our resources into one cohesive system. To use the hub you can simply search for your query or article/book title in the search box. You can search the Hub without logging in, but to fully access our subscribed resources you will need to log in with your NHS OpenAthens account.
Need help using the Hub? Below you'll find a collection of user videos and guides to help you navigate the Hub, alternatively contact us for a 1-1 tutorial session.
Videos:
Introduction to the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub
Navigating the NHS Knowledge and Library Services Hub
User Guide:
Health Education England's brief user guide.
What is SWIMS? 
SWIMS is the library catalogue for all health libraries in the South and West of England, and includes the holdings for UHBW's physical and digital resources such as books, eBooks, and journals.
Need to request a resource?
If you have found a book or journal that you would like to view you can request access by either using the request form on the Discovery Hub, completing our request form, or emailing the library directly at library@uhbw.nhs.uk.
To access our electronic resources you will need an Open Athens account. Open Athens is an authentication system that we use for all of the databases and other online resources we subscribe to.
You will be prompted to sign-up for an Open Athens account when joining the library.
To register for Open Athens, you will need an NHS email and you will need to select 'University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust' as your organisation.
If you experience any issues when trying to access or use your account, please email the library team at library@uhbw.nhs.uk
You can access your library account by going to the library catalogue and clicking on the log-in option at the top right of your screen.
What can you do with your account?
Your library account is separate from your Open Athens account.
Need help using your account? Check out this SWIMS Catalogue guide for support. If you experience any problems with accessing your library account, please do let us know by emailing library@uhbw.nhs.uk.
LibKey is a suite of online tools created by ThirdIron, a software company building innovative information solutions for libraries and their users. Comprising of LibKey Discovery, LibKey Link, LibKey Nomad and LibKey.io, this suite of tools can help you to find and access research articles quickly and more efficiently.
For more information on how these products work, check out our LibKey quick guide or
view our journals and articles section to have a go using some of these tools yourself!
As a member of the library you have access to collection of books on a range of topics, including both clinical and non-clinical
You can search for both physical books and eBooks via the Hub or through the catalogue. If we don't have the book you're looking for in stock or if you can't find what you're looking for, please complete our book request form and we'll do our best to find a copy for you from another NHS library.
We also welcome your suggestions for titles that could be purchased. The decision to purchase a copy
of a title is reserved to the Library Manager, and each title is reviewed in line with the Library Collection Development Policy.
The following tabs will guide you through accessing our eBook collections as well as describing our various collections.
Kortext is an eBook platform with a range of clinical and non-clinical titles. 
To access Kortext, select 'sign up through your institution', from the drop down menu search for either NHS in England or University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, and then use you NHS OpenAthens account. Use the collections tab to choose a book, or use the books tab to find books you’ve previously opened.
Alongside the S Karger-Fast Facts Collection, Kortext is also home to specialist collections funded by NHS England for all NHS staff to use:
Diversity
Primary Care
Psychological professions collection
Resilience and Wellbeing
Sustainability
Oxford Handbooks offer authoritative and up-to-date original research in particular subject areas. UHBW staff and students have access to over 130 Oxford University Press medical and healthcare books online, including a collection of Oxford Handbooks and Oxford Specialty Handbooks.
The Library and Knowledge service at UHBW is committed to helping people help themselves. At both Bristol and Weston library sites, we can provide you with a welcoming space to take some time away from your work area, and access to our carefully curated wellbeing book collection to help both your mental and physical health.
We also have many books available simply to read at leisure. Our fiction collection covers a wide-range of genres including Booker Prize winners, contemporary, horror, fantasy, and thrillers. We also have a range of non-fiction titles on topics including biographies, society, politics, science, nature, and more!
Check out our wellbeing page for more information about the various services, resources and recommendations to help protect and improve your personal health and wellbeing.
Alongside our main clinical collection and wellbeing we have also collated together other titles, including:
Dementia Resources
Digital Skills
Functional Skills
Leadership
Neonate
Professional Development
Study Skills
Sustainability
Pop in to view these collections, or click on the available links to view the online reading lists.
UHBW Library and Knowledge Service regularly celebrates and promotes various events throughout the year. As part of our efforts, we often produce a reading list of relevant titles in our collection. Some of our recent reading lists can be found here.
Women's History Month Reading List
Women's History Month Evidence Update
LGBTQ+ History Month February 2024:
LGBTQ+ History Month Reading List
Pride Month June 2024:
Pride Month Reading List
Disability History Month November-December 2023:
Disability History Month Reading List
Created in collaboration with ABLE+
Black History Month October 2023:
Black History Month Reading List
UHBW Library has access to a large number of online peer reviewed journals, covering specific areas of practice, to ensure you stay on top of the latest advancements and best practices, empowering you to deliver exceptional patient care.
The following tabs will help you to access our journals, If you are searching for a particular article try using the DOI/PMID search tab or use the Library Hub and type in the article title to see if we have full-text access.
To access our online resources you will need an NHS OpenAthens Account. No account? Register with your UHBW email or visit this NHS page for further guidance about OpenAthens for more info. Already have an account? Explore the following tabs to discover how to access library-subscribed journals and articles.
Browzine is a journal database, enabling you to browse, read and monitor e-journals from different publishers in one simple interface. To access use the link above, or use the search box to type in a journal e.g. British Journal of Nursing. If we subscribe, Browzine will highlight which years you can access and will provide a links to full-text versions of articles.
We do not suggest using BrowZine for in-depth research or searching. To carry out in-depth research please head to our database box.
LibKey Nomad is a browser plug-in which scans the webpage for the article DOI (digital object identifier) and matches it against our libraries holdings; this takes a fraction of a second. It is also free to install on both Trust and personal PCs!
Click here to install LibKey Nomad and select "get LibKey Nomad now". You will then need to select your web browser. After installation, you will then need to select 'University Hospital Bristol & Weston'.
You will still need an OpenAthens account to access full-text articles, but LibKey Nomad will help make searching for full text articles quicker and easier.
If you experience any issues when using Libkey, please email the library for support: library@uhbw.nhs.uk
If UHBW has access to the full-text version of the article, the LibKey button will appear at the left-hand corner of the screen, either stating "Download PDF" and "Article Link".
If we don't have full-text access, the LibKey button will show "Access Options". This will redirect you to our Discovery Hub where you will be able to request this article by selecting "Request this Item" and completing the article request form.
Enter the DOI or the PubMed ID of the article you looking for access into the search box above. If the article is available through the Library or via Open Access, you will be able to access the PDF or the article link. If we don’t have access it will take you the NHS Library Hub Request page, where you will need to click ‘Request a Copy' and complete the request form. We will then try to obtain a PDF copy for you from another library. The 'View article in context' option will take you to BrowZine and allow you to browse other articles within this journal.
What is a DOI?
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique string made up of numbers, letters and symbols and is used as a way to easily identify and quickly retrieve a journal article or document.
What is a PMID?
A PMID is another number that uniquely identifies a journal article, BUT they are only given if the article is indexed in PubMed. The PMID number can also be used in the search box above.
Health Service Journal (HSJ) provides a deep understanding of the NHS through a wide range of services and solutions – news, analysis, insight, data, live networking events and unique best practice database – aimed at senior management, decision-makers and policy makers in the UK healthcare industry.
If you would like a HSJ log in, please contact us at library@uhbw.nhs.uk, alternatively please complete our request form if you are unable to access an article.
The NHS Library and Knowledge Hub is a good starting point for many searches in healthcare,
however, if you need a more focused, in-depth search of the literature then a search of a specific healthcare database is recommended. We provide direct access to a variety of medical databases though our three core native interfaces:
Click on the tabs to view and access the databases available in each subject area.
If you need help searching the databases, check out our training page to book in for a 1-1 or group session with a librarian!
MEDLINE Complete (available via EBSCO and OVID):
Covers the international literature on biomedicine, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and the allied health fields as well as the physical sciences, humanities, and information science as they relate to medicine and health care. Information is indexed from approximately 5,600 journals published world-wide.
EMBASE (available via OVID):
A biomedical and pharmacological database containing more than 40 million records including articles from more than 8,500 journals published world-wide. It is especially strong in its coverage of drug and pharmaceutical research, pharmacology, toxicology and medical devices.
Coronavirus Research Database (available via ProQuest):
Brings together trusted content from journals, preprints, conference proceedings, dissertations and more related to COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. This database brings together not only content from open-access journals, but also pre-prints and additional content being made freely available by major publishers from around the world. This versatile content set is designed to help students, researchers, and health care professionals investigate answers to pressing questions arising in the wake of the pandemic.
British Nursing Index (available via ProQuest):
A leading database for support of practice, education, and research for nurses, midwives, and health providers in the UK or following UK practice. Also included are relevant nursing articles from selected medical, allied health, community and health management journals.
CINAHL Ultimate (available via EBSCO)
The definitive resource for nursing and allied health research, providing full text for more of the most used journals in the CINAHL index than any other database - with no embargo. It covers more than 50 nursing specialties and includes quick lessons, evidence-based care sheets, CEU models and research instruments.
EMCARE (available via OVID):
Covers all nursing specialties and nursing healthcare professions. It also includes international coverage of allied health, education and training, development and management, midwifery, health and healthcare economics, clinical medical and healthcare social work, psychiatry and mental health, and traumatology, emergency and critical-care medicine.
Nursing & Allied Health Database (available via ProQuest):
Provides users with reliable healthcare information covering nursing, allied health professions, alternative and complementary medicine, and much more. This versatile database is designed to meet the needs of nursing and allied health programs at academic institutions.
AMED (available via ProQuest):
Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) covers complementary medicine, palliative care, and several professions allied to medicine.
British Nursing Index (available via ProQuest):
A leading database for support of practice, education, and research for nurses, midwives, and health providers in the UK or following UK practice. Also included are relevant nursing articles from selected medical, allied health, community and health management journals.
CINAHL Ultimate (available via EBSCO):
CINAHL Ultimate is the definitive resource for nursing and allied health research, providing full text for more of the most used journals in the CINAHL index than any other database - with no embargo. It covers more than 50 nursing specialties and includes quick lessons, evidence-based care sheets, CEU models and research instruments.
Nursing & Allied Health Database (available via ProQuest):
Provides users with reliable healthcare information covering nursing, allied health professions, alternative and complementary medicine, and much more. This versatile database is designed to meet the needs of nursing and allied health programs at academic institutions.
PEDro (Free online database from the University of Sydney):
This Physiotherapy Evidence Database provides physiotherapists around the world with easy access to high-quality clinical research so they can practise and teach effectively. PEDro is a well-established, robust and trusted site that provides access to over 61,000 randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines relevant to physiotherapy.
APA PsycArticles (available via ProQuest):
A database of full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber.
APA PsycINFO (available via ProQuest):
Provides access to international literature in psychology and related disciplines. Unrivaled in its depth of psychological coverage and respected worldwide for its high quality, the database is enriched with literature from an array of disciplines related to psychology such as psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, and social work.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (available via EBSCO):
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection covers emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry, psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.
PTSDpubs (available via ProQuest):
Formerly known as PILOTS, PTSDpubs is a freely available, bibliographic database providing access to the worldwide literature on PTSD and other mental health consequences of traumatic events.
Social Policy and Practice (available via Ovid):
Represents an important source of evidence-based social science research for policy-makers, practitioners, educators and students working within economic and social development, social administration, social services, and care management. The database comprises over 320,000 bibliographic records, with a significant number citing important "grey literature" sources such as semi-published reports, surveys and statistics.
APA PsycINFO (available via ProQuest):
Provides access to international literature in psychology and related disciplines. Unrivaled in its depth of psychological coverage and respected worldwide for its high quality, the database is enriched with literature from an array of disciplines related to psychology such as psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, and social work.
Health Business Elite (available via EBSCO):
Provides comprehensive journal content detailing all aspects of health care administration and other non-clinical aspects of health care institution management. Topics covered include hospital management, hospital administration, marketing, human resources, computer technology, facilities management and insurance.
HMIC (Health Management Information Consortium) (available via Ovid):
A compilation of data from two sources, the Department of Health's Library and Information Services and King’s Fund Information and Library Service. Both of these libraries cover literature with a focus on health service policy, the quality and planning of health services, occupational health, social care, and more.
GreenFILE (available via EBSCO)
Offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (available via EBSCO)
Indexes more than 560 core journals, nearly 50 priority journals, and nearly 125 selective journals; plus books, research reports and proceedings. Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more.
Healthcare Administration Database (available via ProQuest):
designed to meet the needs of researchers studying the field of health administration. This high-demand healthcare management content provides the most reliable and relevant information on a wide range of topics, including: hospitals, insurance, law, statistics, ethics, business and personal management.
A smart, fast tool to find high quality clinical research evidence and clinical guidelines. Trip was designed, twenty-five years ago, as a tool to support clinicians to answer their clinical questions using the best available evidence.This focus remains and a major feature of Trip is evidence-based content (with a focus on evidence at the top of the evidence pyramid). While the focus is on clinicians, Trip is widely used by librarians and other information specialists.
The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain high-quality, independent evidence
to inform healthcare decision-making. These databases include
The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures has been the definitive, market-leading guide to clinical nursing skills for over three decades. Written by nurses for nurses, this indispensable guide sets the gold standard for nursing care, providing the procedures, rationale, and guidance required by qualified nurses to deliver clinically effective, patient-focused care with expertise and confidence.
OpenAthens Login is required.
The British National Formulary (BNF) aims to provide prescribers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals with sound up-to-date information about the use of medicines.
The BNF includes key information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing and administration
of medicines. Medicines generally prescribed in the UK are covered and those considered
less suitable for prescribing are clearly identified.
For key information on medicines used for children, you should visit the British National Formulary for Children (BNFC).
The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry is the essential evidence-based prescribing guidelines on the safe and effective prescribing of psychotropic agents. Covering both common and complex prescribing situations encountered in day-to-day clinical practice, this comprehensive resource provides expert guidance on drug choice, minimum and maximum doses, adverse effects, switching medications, prescribing for special patient groups, and more. Each clear and concise chapter includes an up-to-date reference list providing easy access to the evidence on which the guidance is based.
OpenAthens login is required.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) helps practitioners and commissioners
get the best care to patients, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer.
Using the best possible evidence to improve health and social care in England and Wales, their guidance takes several forms including guidelines, quality standards, and technology appraisals.
Clinical Knowledge Summaries are concise, accessible summaries of current evidence for primary care professionals. There are over 370 topics to choose from.
The topics focus on the most common and significant presentations in primary care. They give trusted information to support safe decision-making and improve standards of patient care.
