The basics

of HEI crossover guidance.

This guidance is intended for library staff working in NHS and higher education library services in England and who handle requests from NHS or HEI employed staff in either setting.

Please note that this information is intended for guidance only and is not a substitute for either the CLA Licence or UK copyright legislation.

If you have any queries or suggestions for improving the guidance, please contact the NHS Copyright First Responders via [email protected].

Higher Education CLA Licence

The Higher Education CLA Licence is used by the majority of universities in the UK. The Licence treats each university as a separate organisation i.e. the licensed individuals are the staff and students of a specific university. 

The ‘Check Permissions’ tool on this page allows staff to find out how different formats of the content may be used e.g. copied, scanned. You will need to select the Higher Education Licence option from the drop down list on the search result screen.

NHS CLA Licences

The NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each has its own CLA Licence, however each Licence covers all the NHS organisations in that country, treating them as a single entity i.e. the licensed users include everyone who works for the NHS in that country.  

The ‘Check Permissions’ tool on this page allows staff to find out how different formats of the content may be used e.g. copied, scanned. You will need to select the Public Sector Licence option from the drop down list on the search result screen.