Terms and conditions

NHS Education for Scotland operates The Knowledge Network website including the Library Search to allow the sites' content and services to be freely available as far as possible. NHS Education for Scotland uses its best efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information on this website. However, no guarantees are made that the information contained on this website or associated, or linked to websites is accurate, complete and current at any given time. Information presented on this website or associated sites may change at any time. Any views expressed on this website are those of the writer and not of NHS Education for Scotland. The inclusion of historical materials in Library Search may include index terms which are no longer in use and may no longer be considered acceptable, for example in the naming of mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities, or personal and ethnic identities. Any information appearing on this website is issued as general information and is not warranted by NHS Education for Scotland, or any other health organisation, nor should it be taken as advice. No responsibility can be accepted by NHS Education for Scotland or any other health organisation for action or inaction because of information contained on this website. This website is not intended in any way to replace the advice of your doctor. Specific advice should be sought in specific situations from a properly qualified health worker. 

You can browse our sites without and account but to benefit from our electronic and print resources through Library Search, you must have an NHS OpenAthens account.

Accounts are available to all NHS Scotland employees and contractors, and social service partners in all sectors.

Eligible users include:

• The Scottish Government
• Local Authority staff in addition to social services working in partnership with health services (e.g. through community partnerships)
• Healthcare staff in the prison service, nursing and care homes, hospices, armed forces and emergency services
• Collegiate and fellowship members of the Scottish Royal Colleges
• Voluntary organisations working in partnership with health and social services
• Undergraduate and postgraduate students who undergo placements or training with the NHS and social services
• Those providing education and training to NHS and social services staff and students
• Researchers working in partnership with the NHS
• Retired NHS staff
• Library staff in Higher and Further education
• Public librarians and other community information centres.

If you are in any doubt about eligibility or require further advice, contact the Knowledge Services Help Desk.

The provision on this website of a link to another website does not constitute any authorisation to access material held at that location. Links to sites are provided for information purposes only and no responsibility is accepted for the quality of resources to be found on such websites. The contents and material made available on linked sites are completely out with the control of NHS Education for Scotland and as such no liability is accepted for any damage resulting from accessing or failing to access these sites. No endorsement is expressed or implied by the presence of a link on this website. No responsibility or liability for the privacy of personal information is accepted for linked websites, as these are beyond the control of NHS Education for Scotland. 

No warranty is given that files downloaded or accessed from this website are free from computer viruses. No warranties are made as to fitness for purpose, quality or completeness of information. NHS Education for Scotland excludes any liability for errors in or omissions in information provided on or linked to from this website. 

Information on how we use your personal data is outlined in our privacy policy.

We regard all those involved in the public provision of health and social care, both as service users and as service providers, as our customers. 

Our commitment to you

• We endeavour to: 
• Make our online knowledge services available 24x7x365, with downtime of no more than 1%. 
• Ensure that maintenance and development work which might affect service performance is carried out during evenings and weekends whenever possible. 
• As far as possible, give advance notification of such maintenance and development work, while recognising that occasional emergencies may require instant attention. 

Communication 

NES Knowledge Services can be reached by post, phone and e-mail. We will publicise our contact details and keep these up to date. 

We aim to respond to all correspondence in a clear, concise and timely manner. We endeavour to ensure that all correspondence, including password requests, receives a response within 5 business days from receipt. More complicated issues will receive an acknowledgement within this response time, and continuous updates on progress until resolved. We are normally available 9.00 am-5.00 pm on business days to respond to phone calls. A voicemail system takes messages when we are not available. 

Customers can sign up to receive our monthly newsletter to keep up to date with our services. If you would like to receive updates on the services we offer, sign up to our newsletter.

Courtesy and respect 

NES Knowledge Services staff will be educated in our service standards and will exhibit customer friendly service skills. Our staff will be knowledgeable, professional and courteous in meeting the needs of our customers and will treat all customers with respect. In return we expect our customers to be equally courteous and respectful. 

Help and support 

We make training and support materials available for our services and publicise our training courses. We work in partnership with libraries, training departments and other functions in health and social care organisations to disseminate training and support as widely as possible. 

Confidentiality 

All information gathered or held regarding our customers will be held in strict compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). No information will be released to any third party in a format that will allow identification except with the express consent of the provider or as may be required by law. 

Consultation, feedback and suggestions 

Consultation, feedback and suggestions are integral to meeting our objectives. We conduct surveys of the needs and perceptions of our customers, using the feedback to enhance our services. Provision for giving feedback and making suggestions is also included in our online services and as part of our training and marketing opportunities. 

Complaints 

We seek fair, just and prompt solutions when possible to any complaints. All such issues should be raised using the standard Knowledge Services communication channels (e.g. phone, email, letter) in the first instance, where they will be acknowledged and directed to the attention of the appropriate person. When necessary, the standard NHS Education for Scotland procedure for escalation of complaints will apply. 

Monitoring 

We will: 

• Make it easy for you to make a complaint, comment or suggestion 
• Monitor complaints to ensure we learn from our mistakes 
• Publicise our customer service policy 
• Develop and support our staff so that they can provide a quality service 
• Use customer surveys to gather feedback. 

How you can help us 

• We recognise that quality services can only be achieved in partnership with you, our customers. You can help us accomplish this by: 
• Giving us the information we need to help you 
• Treating all our staff appropriately and with respect 
• Helping us to improve by giving us your views and suggestions 
• Adhering to our guidelines and relevant legislation (e.g. copyright, Caldicott) on appropriate use of our services. 

To find out more 

If you would like to make a comment, compliment or complaint about our services, contact us at: 

Knowledge Services Group 
NHS Education for Scotland 
Third Floor, 2 Central Quay 
89 Hydepark Street 
Glasgow 
G3 8BW 

Telephone: 0141 531 2683 
Email: knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk 

The terms and conditions of use of this website shall be governed by the laws of Scotland.