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NHS and social care staff in England now have open access to the online version of The Lancet, thanks to an agreement between NICE and Elsevier to fund a national subscription.

The move will save the NHS time and money as NHS organisations, and individual members of staff, will no longer need to take out their own subscriptions to the online and paper versions of The Lancet

Founded in 1823, The Lancet is one of the oldest and most respected medical journals in the world.

This three-year agreement will provide all NHS staff who have an Athens password access to the latest copies of The Lancet, as well as back copies from the last four years, through NHS Evidence - the online service provided by NICE.

Healthcare students following an NHS-commissioned education programme which involves practice and placement within the NHS across England will also have access under the agreement.

Social care staff who meet the eligibility criteria will also be able to access The Lancet.

NICE Deputy Chief Executive Dr Gillian Leng said that the announcement was good news for two reasons.

“Firstly it is a more efficient use of NHS funds and will save organisations money. Secondly, it opens up online access for health and social care professionals to one of the world's most respected medical journals.

“Instead of paying a subscription or sharing copies of The Lancet with colleagues, users can now access their own copy online every week, through NHS Evidence.

“For staff who prefer the paper version of The Lancet, Elsevier will, as part of this agreement, provide each NHS Trust Library with a hard copy of the journal for three years.

“Providing quick and easy access to the latest evidence to help professionals deliver high quality care is a key responsibility for NICE and we are delighted to have secured this agreement.”

Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, added: “It is important for health professionals to have timely access to the most reliable and up-to-date medical and public health research to support patient care and population health.

“The Lancet is delighted that this partnership will allow access by all medical staff in the NHS to the work of some of the best medical scientists in the world today.”

Register online if you are eligible for an Athens password but don't yet have one.