Search medicine boost for NHS

National Library for Health (NLH) is to offer NHS hospitals and libraries in England electronic access to six major medical, healthcare and nursing information databases.

The databases will be supplied by Ovid, which will work with the NLH to develop its federated search interface, Search 2.0, so that NHS staff can access resources through a single, common interface. The NHS already has a similar deal with Ovid in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ian McKinnell, head of development at the NLH, said it decided to create a single interface to its 14 portals as the NLH’s three-year procurement cycle meant a possible change of supplier could otherwise lead to a change of interface.

“We are keen to get value out of developing the interface and are building e-learning tools around evidence and discovery,” McKinnell said.

The resources will be linked with the NHS care records system, the Map of Medicine and NHS Choices, which will appear as an information button within the GP system and will be accessible via the research facility in Microsoft Office.

The NLH is also working with EBSCO and Ingram Digital to provide access to e-books.