Skip to main content

Tips for using your NHS OpenAthens username

 Get the right information at the right time; get an OpenAthens username.

What is it?

NHS staff can access many different types of online resources with one username and password – an Athens or OpenAthens username. Athens / OpenAthens is an authentication system that allows you access to multiple online resources.

icons for different resources types - computer, books, journals, databases

Register…

You can register for an Athens/OpenAthens username by completing the online form.

Make sure you include your NHS organisation and NHS-based email address to ensure your application is processed automatically.

Maintain Your Account

Keep your account up-to-date:

  • Respond quickly to the emails from Athens / eduserv
  • Reset your own password, if necessary
  • Transfer your account to your new workplace
  • Contact your OpenAthens administrator if you experience any problems

Resources for NHS Users

Online resources such as databases, ebooks and ejournals are provided by subscriptions by:

  • NHS national Core Content – collection available to all NHS staff
  • Region / area consortia – we work with local organisations to purchase resources across our local area
  • Health Library resources – we purchase specific resources for the NHS organisations that we support

Access Resources

You’ll find all the resources available to you via our NHS Resources web page

eBooks

Access ebook collections available on Library Search or as special collections.

Clinical Key  ::  Kortex  ::  Medical Education  ::  Oxford Medicine Online

Access to ebook collections may vary depending on the organisation you work for.

eJournals

Access ejournals via the online NHS A-Z list. Log in to browse or search for journal titles for your NHS organisation.

Databases

Search online for articles and information using our specialist online resources and databases, including:

  • BMJ Best Practice
  • Clinical Key
  • HDAS – which includes Amed, Cinahl, Embase, Emcare, Medline, PsychInfo and more

Healthcare Resources Online

Check our website for more specialist resources that are available via the Internet.

More Help

For more help using Athens / OpenAthens go to our OpenAthens page

Or contact your OpenAthens Administrator.

Training and support is available to help you to find information, use our resources and develop your information skills. You can: Attend a training course : Check an online guide : Complete an online etutorial : Browse our Information Skills for Health blog


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hot topic! Hantavirus

 With the cruise ship in port and the travellers heading home the Hantavirus outbreak has been in the news recently. Learn more about this disease from library resources. Check these resources for an overview, key points, diagnosis, treatment options, follow-up and more. [You will need your NHS OpenAthens username to access these resources] BMJ Best Practice – Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome Oxford Medicine Online – Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in Clinical Infectious Disease (3 rd ed) Selected articles from our journal collection Critical care management of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. A narrative review , Journal of Critical Care , Ulloa-Morrison, Rodrigo; Pavez, Nicolas; Parra, Esteban; Lopez, Rene; Mondaca, Roberto; Fernandez, Paula; Kraunik, David; Sanhueza, Claudia; Bravo, Sebastian; Cornu, Matias Germán; Kattan, Eduardo, Vol. 84, p. 154867, 2024. Hantavirus in humans: a review of clinical aspects and management , The Lancet Infectious Dis...

Hot Topic! Ebola

 News about the ebola virus continues, including this article from the BBC about healthcare workers Ebola outbreak: How health workers are treating patients and staying safe in DR Congo - BBC News Check these resources for an overview, key points, diagnosis, treatment options, follow-up and more. [You will need your NHS OpenAthens username to access these resources] BMJ Best Practice – Ebola disease Clinical Key (available to UHNM only) – Ebola Virus Disease Cochrane Library systematic reviews – Interventions to support the resilience and mental health of frontline health and social care professionals during and after a disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic: a mixed methods systematic review (2020) Oxford Medicine Online – Chapter Emerging infectious diseases in Oxford textbook of health protection: principles and practice (2026) Patient Information Ebola [BMJ BP] Ebola virus infection: what to know [Clinical Key] Selected articles from our journal collection Combining v...

Article integrity checks for NHS staff

Want to have extra quality and integrity checks for the articles you find? Use library NHS resources and get warnings if the article you're reading fails integrity checks. NHS resources use LibKey to easily point you to subscribed resources. Now LibKey also does a number of integrity checks to help you feel confident with the articles you find. You’ll get warnings about: Retracted articles Retracted article citation (where an article includes references to articles which have been retracted) Expression of concern for the article (where publishers have concerns about some aspect of a published article) Problematic publishers information Warnings are presented at point of access whether from article links in databases or on the web via LibKey Nomad. Make sure you use library resources so that you are using LibKey links and integrity checks. For more help please contact the eresources librarian c.kent@keele.ac.uk