About our service
Both of our libraries provide print resources, computers, study space and enquiry and support services to all staff, including those working in the community and students on placement.
Our aim is to enable the delivery of evidence based practice patient care, through the provision of a high quality and responsive library and information service that supports all staff. Our libraries support you in the work that you do, in your learning and development and any research activities that you may undertake. Our collection of e-Resources can be accessed at any time and at any location. These include: UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, BMJ Case Reports, Cochrane and more.
We promise to:
- Acknowledge email enquiries within one working day
- Approve your request for an Athens login within one working day
- Complete your request for a mediated literature search within five working days
- Provide you with the journal article you requested within two working days
Supporting your studies, research and professional practice
In addition to the resources and facilities that CDDFT libraries provide, we also have a range of services to help you with your studies, research or professional practice:
Our Librarians can undertake a detailed literature search on your behalf and then send you resources relevant to your studies, research or professional specialism. To request a literature search, fill in our online form, provide as much detail as possible and then submit it. Our librarians will do the rest. Literature Search Request Form
If you prefer to do your own research, you can use our print e-Resources. Take a look at our Resources page to see what is available.
If you need further help to get the best from our resources, you can get further information about the support we can provide by contacting our library staff.
Signing up for our Current Awareness service means you no longer have to worry about keeping up to date with your favourite journals or be concerned about those important new developments that you may be missing out on. We have a range of alerting services that will keep you well informed.
The Library subscribes to JournalTOCs, a service which provides access to the Table of Contents of over 28,000 journals. The journals cover a wide range of medical topics, including medicine, nursing and pharmacology.
At JournalTOCs, you can set up your own account and create lists of followed journals. You will then receive alerts for new articles and current awareness information.
Use this service - click on the sign-in option and then register as a new user.
Many organisations produce regular alerts to highlight news and developments. These include:-
- Care Quality Commission Newsletter
- Health Management Bulletin
- HPR Weekly - a weekly report for the Health Protection Agency
- Information Commissioner's Office Newsletter
- Kings Fund Newsletter
- NICE Newsletter
To receive alerts, fill in our Alerts & Updates from Organisations form, tell us which alerts you would like to receive and you will be added to our email lists.
If you or your team need help or support to use our resources or services effectively, we can arrange a training session at a time convenient to you. This could be a one to one or a group session, in your department, in one of the libraries or over Teams.
A support session could take just 10 minutes or last an hour, we will tailor the session to suit you. The session could cover anything from search techniques to using individual e-Resources.
For more information or to arrange a support session, use this form: Support Request Form
If you come across details of an article you need and cannot access the full article, request it through our Inter Library Loans service. Use the link below to open the Inter Library Loan request form, enter as much detail as possible and the Library Team get it for you from another NHS library service or from the British Library.
Similarly, if you want to get hold of a particular book and cannot find it on the Library Catalogue, use the link below to open the Book Request form and we will borrow it from another NHS library service or buy it for you to use.
OpenAthens is a gateway to a range of e-Resources (healthcare databases and e-Journal articles) which are exclusively available to NHS staff and students to access over the internet. You need to create an OpenAthens account which you can then use to login to these e-Resources.
With OpenAthens you can find evidence and information to support patient care and your own studies or personal development whenever you need to. The e-Resources are available for you whenever you want to use them, at work or at home.
Creating your OpenAthens account
- To create your own OpenAthens account you must be logged onto an NHS computer.
- You can then create your account at OpenAthens registration.
- It is important that you select the correct information from the drop down boxes, to identify the organisation that employs you.
- Once you submit your registration, you will receive an automated email from OpenAthens. This will contain an activation link.
- Click on the link to activate your OpenAthens account and set your password.
- Your new OpenAthens account will be ready to use within a few minutes.
If you experience any problems or need assistance with registering, please go to Our Libraries webpage for our contact details.
e-Resources available through OpenAthens
Go to our Resources page to see what's available under e-Resources (databases, specialist resources, e-Journals and e-Books).
You will also find information on how to search for journals through our Journal Listing (Full Text Finder).
OpenAthens login problems
If you have an NHS OpenAthens account but have forgotten your log-in details:
- Go to the MyAthens home page.
- Click on the login icon and select the Forgotten your Password option.
- Enter your email address and select next.
- You will be sent an email message containing a link to reset your password.
If you need further assistance with your OpenAthens account, please contact us Our Libraries and Contact Details
Supporting decision making, research, training, staff development and health and wellbeing
We provide both print and online information resources to support treatment and decision making, research, staff development and training as well as resources to support health and wellbeing and leisure reading. We also provide support and training to help all staff and students to use our resources effectively. If you feel you would benefit from our support, please get in touch. We're always adding new books and resources to our collection - see our new resources and recently added to stock. If you would like to borrow or learn more about any of the books or resources listed, please get in touch.
Library collection and catalogues
We provide staff with access to a huge amount of information in both print and electronic formats. And, if we haven't got the article, book or report that you need, we can either borrow it or buy it to make it available to you.
We provide staff with access to a huge amount of information in both print and electronic formats. And, if we haven't got the article, book or report that you need, we can either borrow it or buy it to make it available to you.
Books
Our library collections are relatively small, holding around 40,000 print books and reports. However, through our library catalogue you can request many more books held at other NHS libraries in the North East. If that is not enough, our Inter Library Loans and Book Request services allow you to request any article or book you need.
We also stock a small selection of lighter reading and books on a wide range of health and wellbeing topics. Go to Health & Wellbeing for further information
e-Books
We hold a collection of e-books, spanning a breadth of different topic areas. To access these books you must have an OpenAthens account. If you don't have an account you can create one at OpenAthens Registration. To search for e-books on the Proquest platform please visit their website. You will need an OpenAthens account.
The Oxford Medicine Handbooks series - e-book titles
Health Education England has funded access to 136 e-books (5,139 chapters) from this prestigious series. The e-Books cover a wide range of specialisms and disciplines. To access the e-Books in this series, simply visit this website, select 'Sign in Now' and then enter your OpenAthen login details. To get the best from this collection of e-books you can watch support videos on YouTube.
Kortext e-books
Kortext provides a range titles covering clinical, CPD, leadership, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, fitness, research, revision and more - Kortext e-book collection. To access these books you must have an OpenAthens account. If you don't have an account you can create one at OpenAthens Registration.
e-Journals
Through our subscriptions to individual e-Journals and collected databases, you have immediate access to thousands of articles from reliable, peer reviewed publications and to thousands more through our Inter Library Loans service.
E-Journals
There are literally thousands of journal articles available to you from e-journals and e-resources when you use your NHS OpenAthens account. All of the articles are from respected and peer reviewed publications, so you can rely on the information they provide.
If you do not have an OpenAthens account, you can set one up very easily. Go to our OpenAthens section to find out more.
Once you have your Athens log in details, the best place to see what's available is via Browse Journals - Browzine which enables you to search for a specific journal.
The NHS currently has in place an agreement with the Copyright Licensing Agency. The agreement sets out the extent and nature of copying that is permissible. Full information about the NHS agreement and links to guidance are available at the CLA website.
Additional e-journal collections
- BMJ Journals Collection : access a wide range of journals full text from BMJ Publishing
- Emerald : access to a wide range of management e-journals.
- Nursing Times: log in with your NHS Athens password for online journal access
Articles: full-text version not available
Although our e-Resources provide a lot of full-text content, they are indexes too. This means that they provide information about published articles, without providing the article itself. This might seem strange, but it is informing you about resources that have been published, which you can then request using our Inter Library Loans request form.
Important: Copyright law prevents us from supplying you with more than two articles from the same issue of any journal. Please consider this when you are requesting articles.
You can also request books that are not available in the CDDFT libraries. Please go to the Books & e-Books or the Forms page for more information
Databases and specialist resources
With our e-Resources you can access lots of useful, reliable information quickly and easily on your computer, laptop, tablet or phone. We can help you use and search the resources effectively and can provide support to small groups or individually.
Databases
The Library and Information Service subscribe to a number of e-Resources that you can access via your OpenAthens account.
Knowledge and Library Hub connects NHS staff and learners to high quality knowledge and evidence resources, from journals, books and databases, policy and management information and research literature. It also has clinical decision support resources including NICE Guidelines and BMJ Best Practice.
Cochrane Database is recognised world-wide for its high-quality, independent evidence. You can access it without your NHS Athens log-in.
Trip Database is a clinical search engine which provides quick and and easy access to high-quality research evidence to support your practice or care.
Specialist resources
UpToDate uses current peer-reviewed resources to provide evidence based synthesized information to answer clinical questions at the point of care. Please note: you can record your activity and collect CME points while accessing UpToDate. You must register and access it through OpenAthens to do so. Click on the Log In prompt at the top right hand corner and follow the instructions.
BMJ Best Practice - is a clinical decision-making tool, which uses the latest evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion, to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.
BMJ Case Reports - BMJ Case Reports is an important educational resource offering a high volume of cases in all disciplines so that healthcare professionals, researchers and others can easily find clinically important information on common and rare conditions. Instructions For Authors includes a guide on how to prepare and submit cases. You will also need your Athens account for access. For fellowship code details, contact the library team.
123Doc Medical Exam is a source of high quality online practice questions and revision resources, tailored for junior doctors taking the MRCP, MRCPCH, MRCPsych, PLAB and FRCA examinations. Use your OpenAthens login to create an account.
The Royal Marsden - find evidence based clinical procedure guidelines and access them at work or at home.
Prospect House Library (UHND)
Opening Times: Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm
Phone: 0191 3332483
Email: cdda-tr.
Address: Library, Prospect House, Aykley Heads Business Park, Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5TS
Darlington Library (DMH Education Centre)
Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (Darlington Library also has a 24 hour access facility, which is operated by swipe card.)
Phone: 01325 743878
Email: cdda-tr.
Address: Library, Education Centre, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, DL3 6HX
Join the library
All CDDFT staff and students can join the library and take out up to 10 books at a time. If you would like to join, either visit one of our libraries in person or complete the Library Registration Form.
To make it easier and faster for you to use our services, we have introduced several online forms. Use the links below to access the forms and use them to contact us or use our various services.
Library Registration: Join the library and you can borrow books from our collection. If we don't have the book you need, you can request it from another library or suggest we buy it using the forms below. (For CDDFT staff and students only).
Inter Library Loans Request: Use this form to request books that are not listed on the library catalogue or for journal articles that are not available through our e-Resources. (This service is for CDDFT staff and students only).
Book Request: The book you want is available on the catalogue, but it is at another NE NHS library. No problem, just use this form to request it.
Book Suggestion: If there is a book that you think we should have in the library, you can suggest it using this form. If we agree with your suggestion we will order it and let you know when it has been added to stock.
Literature Search Request: When you need information to support your studies, professional development or research our librarians can help, by carrying out a detailed literature search for you. Use this form to tell them about the topics you are interested in. (For CDDFT staff and students only).
Alerts & updates from Organisations Complete this form and we can arrange for you to receive regular alerts produced by a variety of organisations, as listed on the form.
User Feedback: (Impact of Literature Search service): And after you have used our Literature Search service, you will be asked to complete this form to tell us how well we did.
Comments, Questions and Suggestions: Are we doing well? Could we do better? Use this form to share your comments, questions and suggestions with us and help us to improve the library services we provide.
Out of Hours Access Request (for DMH Library only): If you are a member of clinical staff or a student based at DMH you can get access to the library there even when it is closed. Complete this form to request out of hours access. A returnable fee is required for the swipe card you are issed with when joining this service.
We welcome your comments as they can help us to improve the library service we provide to you and others. If you would like to contact us please use our online form.
The below information may be useful to staff, members of the public, patients and their carers, family or friends.
NHS 111 - Get help for your symptoms online.
NHS Better Health - Free tools and support to help you move to a healthier lifestyle.
NHS Better Health - Mental Health - Find information and support for your mental health.
NHS Better Health - Lose Weight - If you're overweight, losing weight can have many help benefits and small changes can make a big difference.
NHS Services - Find services and make appointments online.
NHS Health A-Z - Your complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.
NHS Medicines A-Z - Find out how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.
NHS What to ask your doctor - Advice on how to get the most from your appointment.
NHS Women's Health - Information and support on health, wellbeing, conditions and screening.
Other Resources
County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services
Darlington & Co Durham Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling
Darlington B C - Health & Social Care
Durham County Council - Adult & Health Services
National Domestic Violence Helpline
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
Books
The CDDFT Library Service supports staff Health and Wellbeing via Lighter Reading fiction and books on Health and Wellbeing related topics, available through our Library Catalogue, plus other collections of dedicated Wellbeing resources, both print and digital.
Your Health Collection
Is a selection of books and digital support resources
Health Education England (HEE) and the Reading Agency have worked together in partnership to bring together a collection of resources to support users of health and prison libraries to understand and manage their health.
The collection of 10 books and 30 digital resources are on a theme of better health and living well and were selected by healthcare, health information and knowledge specialists working in the NHS, prisons, public health and Higher Education. The resources are accessible, inclusive and reflect the diversity of society.
The books are available at both CDDFT libraries. Please check our Library Catalogue for details.
Staff are able to access the online collection through any computer or mobile device.
Uplifting Resources
Health Education England (HEE) and the Reading Agency have crowd-sourced a list of uplifting resources from NHS colleagues and as part of that collection, ten books are available to borrow from our CDDFT Libraries. They include fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
All of the resources have been recommended by NHS staff for NHS staff and are ideal for boosting your mood. The supporting digital collection also contains poems, websites, videos, podcasts and apps and is available HERE. You can use it at your own leisure via any computer or mobile device, at work or at home.
Reading Well Books on Prescription help individuals understand and manage their health and wellbeing using self-help reading. The books are endorsed by health professionals, as well as by people living with the conditions covered and their relatives and carers. The scheme is also supported by public libraries.
Reading Well has published several Reading Lists, covering Long Term Conditions, Dementia and Mental Health (Please see the links under Related Publications). The Trust Library Service has purchased many of these books, however if we don't have a book in stock at your local CDDFT Staff Library, please don't hesitate to request it and we can try and get it from elsewhere.
To search for the Reading Well books please visit our Library Catalogue .
1. General
These joint regulations for library use apply to the use of, and the lending of items from the following library services:
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Health Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
2. Users eligibility
2.1 All NHS staff working for the above Trusts are eligible to join the NHS Library & Knowledge Services, and use any of the libraries in the Trusts listed above.
2.2 All NHS students on placement in the Trusts listed above are eligible to join the NHS Library & Knowledge Services, and use any of the libraries in those Trusts for the duration of their course. Other students may be eligible to join for the duration of their placement.
3. Admission and Registration
3.1 Staff should register with one library at their Trust library service listed above. Students should register at the library nearest to their main placement. This is their home library.
3.2 Other local rules and regulations specific to the individual library service may be given out at registration. Members who infringe any regulation may have their borrowing privileges suspended by all the libraries listed above, for a stated period. Serious infringements may be reported to the appropriate authority.
3.3 If the user wishes to use other libraries it is their responsibility to ask for, and familiarise themselves with any additional local rules and regulations on arrival at the new library.
4. Borrowing items from libraries
4.1 Members must possess a current library ticket and produce this ticket in order to borrow items.
4.2 Members are responsible for items borrowed in their name, with their library ticket. Therefore members should not lend their library ticket, or items borrowed with it, to any other party.
4.3 Members can use any of the libraries in the Trusts listed above to borrow items. Members have an overall loan limit of 10 items.
4.4 No item of stock may be removed from the library unless it has been issued by a member of library staff or through a self-issue procedure.
4.5 Members should return all items by the due date in good condition.
4.6 Members may be invoiced for the full cost of replacing damaged and non-returned items, plus an additional administrative and handling charge in some Trusts.
4.7 Items can be renewed by telephone, in person, or via the web catalogue up to a maximum of six renewals, as long as the item has not been requested by another user.
4.8 Some services, such as inter library loan requests and reservation requests may only be available from the members home library.
5. Data Protection
Privacy Notice for NHS Knowledge and Library Services
By submitting personal data to us, you agree that we, your NHS Knowledge and Library Service, may collect, use and store any such personal information data in accordance with relevant data protection legislation and regulations, as described in this Privacy Notice.
Further details on relevant data protection legislation and regulations can be found on the website of the Information Commissioner's Office (https://ico.org.uk/)
This privacy notice explains:
- why we hold your personal data
- how you can find out what data we hold, and have that data updated or deleted
- who may have access to your data
- how your data is processed and stored
- how long your data is retained
- how you can request that we stop contacting you
If you have any concerns related to this Privacy Notice or have any queries about the use of your personal data, please contact your library service.
1. Why we hold your personal data
We store your personal data so that we can track your use of knowledge and library services and contact you if we need to about the services that we provide for you.
2. How you can find out what data we have, and have that data updated
For more information please contact your library service.
3. Who may have access to your data
Your data is accessible to knowledge and library service staff who use systems to deliver knowledge and library services to the NHS in England.
In addition, your data is accessible to the system suppliers and system managers who provide and manage these systems. You may view the privacy policies of individual systems, which are included in the Appendix.
Staff at all organisations work in compliance with this Privacy Notice and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
We will share your data with others only if required to do so by law, or for the purpose of collecting overdue items or outstanding fines. We will never sell your data to anyone or share it in a way not described in this notice without your permission.
4. How your data is processed and stored
When you register to use an NHS Knowledge and Library Service, we input the data into our systems.
If you notify us of a change to your data, we update the systems accordingly.
Technical safeguards are in place to help ensure that your data is kept safe and only disclosed to people who are authorised to view it.
5. How long your data is retained
Your personal information will be held on the library system for 3 years, at which point you will be invited to re-register. If you do not re-register your personal information will be securely destroyed. You may re-register with the library service at any point in the future should you change your mind.
6. How you can request that we stop contacting you
If you wish to stop receiving communications about knowledge and library services, please contact your library service.
Health Education England and NHS Knowledge and Library Services
Last updated: 24 October 2022
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