Primary Users

The following user groups are covered directly by the NHS Wales e-Library i.e. e-resources procured specifically according to their needs and are eligible to access at work (on the NHS Wales network) and from home (via remote authentication):

1. All staff employed by NHS Wales organisations including but not limited to:
   • administrative & clerical, allied health professionals, doctors, health scientists, managers, midwives, nurses, emergency staff, and support staff. This includes all NHS Wales organisations (Health Boards, Trusts, Special Health Authorities and their hosted organisations) and all Wales NHS statutory bodies and services, such as Community Health Councils and HM Prison Service healthcare staff.

2. All staff and organisations in Wales individually contracted to NHS Wales to provide services in Wales working directly with NHS Wales patients including but not limited to:
   • Independent, charitable, and voluntary sector organisations, local authority organisations which provide NHS Wales commissioned care or work in partnership with NHS Wales to provide care to patients.
   • Registered medical practitioners working in general medical and dental practices, community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and dispensing staff and optometrists, ophthalmic medical practitioners, and dispensing opticians, (the latter have NHS Wales contracts but special consideration will need to be given to which particular staff have access, e.g. optometrists, ophthalmic medical practitioners, and dispensing opticians may undertake a majority of private practice rather than NHS Wales work)
   • Registered professionals recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and by the Health Professions Council, including independent sector nurses providing cancer care
   • Hospice workers, social workers, health and care related support charities and social enterprise organisations.
   • Registered Social Workers and Social Care Workers employed by Local Authorities in Wales and Social Workers and Social Care Workers who are individually contracted to or work for an organisation that is contracted by NHS Wales to deliver NHS Wales care combined to a maximum cap of an aggregate total of seven thousand and five hundred (7,5000) users accessing licensed materials.
   • Registered Social Care Managers who are privately employed in the roles of Care Home, Domiciliary Care and Residential Childcare Managers combined to a maximum cap of an aggregate total of two thousand and two hundred (2,200) users accessing the Licensed Materials.
   • Registered Social Workers who are third sector, independent or self-employed in Wales to a maximum cap of an aggregate total of 1,000 users accessing the licensed materials

3. All staff employed, hosted by, or working directly with Welsh Government Health and Social Care departments.  Also including, but not limited to:

• The offices of the Welsh Chief Health Professionals
• Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Care Inspectorate Wales
• Welsh Government library, knowledge and analytical services staff

Secondary Users

Secondary level users will be allowed access to the service, although resources will not be procured specifically for their individual use. Secondary users will generally be those from other sectors and organisations who are not employed by NHS Wales but work directly with NHS colleagues as part of the healthcare team and are eligible to access at work where applicable and from home:

1. Students, from the date of commencement of a placement with an NHS Wales or Social Care service provider, for the duration of their placement.
2. Retired NHS Wales employees and contractors who can provide evidence of having worked for NHS Wales via a confirmation letter from their Health Board or Trust workforce and organisational department at the point of retirement. 

• These users will be provided with a remote access account from a specified lot of fifty (50) accounts for the duration of three (3) months at a time to support their continued learning, voluntary work for NHS Wales or voluntary organisations but not for privately funded contractual employment or personal gain. These users are expected to adhere to the same personal accountability and professionalism that is expected of those still in active employment with NHS Wales.
• To apply for a Retired NHS Wales employee access account, click here.

3. Individual employees, workers and contractors of organisations which receive Welsh Government funding or sponsorship to provide health and social care services or information to support health and social care service delivery and executive, regulatory, advisory and delivery services to NHS Wales.

• For example, Social Care Wales, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service Cymru, Health Protection Committee, health related advisory groups and boards, and local authorities

4. NHS Wales volunteers such as those who sit on Community Health Council Boards or Health Board/Trust patient groups who would be deemed to benefit from the service by an authorised national or local OpenAthens administrator 

Tertiary Users 

Tertiary users may be members of the public who are accessing e-resources available on the internet without controlled access which are effectively in the public domain and therefore available to all citizens of Wales. The NHS Wales e-Library will also make accessible any freely available e-resources such as OpenAccess journals, bibliographic databases, evidence-based resources and clinical guidelines via its website.

(Last updated January 2024)