NHS Knowledge and Library Hub

Searching: Health and Care Evidence

The NHS Knowledge and Library Hub is a new way to search for journal articles. Covering a wide range of databases, including Medline and CINAHL, the Hub allows you to perform simple or more complex searches, and access the full-text with a single-click (where available). Where we don't have access to the full-text, it is easy to request a copy, and the details of the item are automatically added to the request form.

The Hub offers a range of features to make searching for knowledge and evidence easier:

  • Search across a wide range of databases simultaneously to locate journal articles and grey literature such as reports and conference proceedings
  • Filter your search by date, publication type or by database
  • Access the PDF full-text with a single-click where available, or request a copy
  • Repeat your search with a single-click in a range of evidence resources such as UpToDate (SaTH only), BMJ Best Practice, Trip database, the Cochrane Library, or in our book and e-book collections
  • Access individual databases such as Medline, CINAHL and EMBASE for advanced searching including thesaurus terms
  • Email, print or save references with formatted citations in formats such as Harvard

The Hub requires an NHS OpenAthens account for access, and it is available to all NHS staff and learners.

How to search

Download our Guide to Searching the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub for more information on making the best use of the Hub and all its features.

Sources searched

Some of the sources included in the main search include:

E-books
  • Oxford Handbooks
  • E-books on the EBSCO platform
Journal articles
  • Academic Search Index
  • APA PsycArticles
  • BioOne Complete
  • GreenFILE
  • CINAHL
  • Medline
  • Oxford Clinical Psychology
  • Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Evidence resources
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
  • BMJ Best Practice
  • ClinicalTrials.gov [international clinical trials registry]
Grey Literature
  • British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings
  • British Library EThOS [UK theses]

When carrying out a search within the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub, it is possible to filter results to a source using the 'Limit to Database' filter on the left-hand side of the screen.

Many additional sources are available to search separately from the buttons on the right-hand side of the screen.