Procurement and collections management

Buying print and electronic resources for your knowledge and library service and managing your collections.

NICE Electronic and Print Content Framework Agreement

NHS and other health and social care related organisations may use this Framework to buy:

  • electronic and print journals and books
  • bibliographic and full text databases
  • aggregated evidence resource summaries

See the provider grid for a list of appointed suppliers of these resources, and the Framework for more information.

Why use the Framework? – Save time and effort.  Get value for money.  Make informed purchasing decisions.

Pre-populated call-off order forms are now available for the following suppliers of titles or collections for purchase by direct award under Lot 1 of the framework:

  • BMJ
  • Mark Allen
  • ProQuest
  • Sage
  • Wiley
  • Wolters Kluwer
BMJ Best Practice in action
Yes, we have bought this electronic resource. Let me show you how to make the most of it

National deals

We have neogiated several deals with suppliers for content:

  • Wiley Medicine and Nursing Collection
  • Mark Allen Collections: MA Healthcare Complete; Internurse; Internurse and Intermid
  • KnowledgeShare

Negotiations focus on these principles:

  • equity and transparency across the whole of the NHS in England
  • pricing by relevant workforce numbers rather than bed counts

Contact the Knowledge for Healthcare team on [email protected] for more information.

Collections management guidance

A national guideline is currently being compiled to provide broad principles and recommendations for collection development for knowledge and library services in the NHS in England.

The guidance will cover stock acquisition with criterion to consider for books and journals, print and electronic; stock retention and withdrawal; as well as issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

The guideline is intended to inform local and nationally procured collection management.

It is being co-produced by a working group with knowledge & library staff representatives from each of the NHS regions in England and members of the NHS England Knowledge & Library services team.

The guideline should be published in June 2024.

Page last reviewed: 15 June 2021