References and appendices

Knowledge and Library Services (KLS) Staff Ratio policy

References and sources for the Knowledge and Library Services' (KLS) Staff Ratio policy.

References

Library Knowledge Services. (2016) 'NHS Library and Knowledge Services in England Policy'. Available at: https://library.hee.nhs.uk/binaries/content/assets/lks/about/nhs-library-and-knowledge-services-in-england-policy.pdf

Health Education England (2014). 'Developing people for health and healthcare Knowledge for healthcare: a development framework for NHS library and knowledge services in'. [online] Available at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Knowledge_for_healthcare_a_development_framework_2014.pdf

Health Education England. (2019a) 'KLS statistical return for NHS KLS staffing in England: 2019- 20' [Unpublished]

Health Education England. (2019b) Library and Knowledge Services in England Annual Statistical returns, 2014 – 2019

Care Quality Commission. (no date) 'University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust - Services - Care Quality Commission'. [online] Available at: https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RKB/services

Sadera, G. and others. (2015) 'The Librarian as knowledge mobilise in critical care'. Wirrall University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Health Education England. (2019c) 'Preparing the healthcare workforce to deliver the digital future: an independent report on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care'. Available at: https://topol.hee.nhs.uk/the-topol-review

Appendix 1: regional variations in staff ratio

London/Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS)

Workforce, Training and Education (WTE) KLS qualified posts from the 2018 stats return: 224.42.

WTE NHS staff at December 2018: 264,819.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:1,180.

Midlands and East

WTE KLS qualified posts from the 2018 stats return: 142.56.

WTE NHS staff at December 2018: 299,522.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:2,101.

North

WTE KLS qualified posts from the 2018 stats return: 154.63.

WTE NHS staff at December 2018: 348,694.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:2,255.

South

WTE KLS qualified posts from the 2018 stats return: 104.73.

WTE NHS staff at December 2018: 169,942.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:1,622.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:2,255.

Total

WTE KLS qualified posts from the 2018 stats return: 629.34.

WTE NHS staff at December 2018: 1,082,977.

Ratio of qualified KLS staff to NHS staff - WTE: 1:1,729.

Appendix 2: Illustrating the impact of library and knowledge services

Case study 1: Improving patient care

Evidence supplied by the knowledge specialist at Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust led to a trial of high-dose vitamin D for a patient with unrelenting chest systems, which cured symptoms of Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome.

Quote

The patient symptoms resolved within three months once blood vitamin D levels rose
Dr V Varney, Consultant Physician

The success of this innovative low-cost treatment led to a cure for unrelenting chest symptoms and has changed international practice.

The ratio of qualified librarians to healthcare staff at Epsom and St Helier is 1:803.

Case study 2: Cost effectiveness

Serving on the Product Selection Committee at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, the clinical librarian provided input essential to achieve £1.9 million in savings.

Quote

Having this information available alters our opinions, confirms ideas and influences our decision-making. It also helps us to engage with staff more effectively and makes change management easier. I would recommend that all change management committees consider including a librarian in their meetings
Deb Bolton, Clinical Procurement Manager

The ratio of qualified librarians to healthcare staff at Brighton and Sussex is 1:614.

Case study 3: Releasing time

Working across the maternity and governance teams, the clinical librarian at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust efficiently delivered a comprehensive body of evidence leading to 55 updates to their former midwifery policies and guidelines.

This released 302.5 hours of the midwife’s time, equivalent to a saving of £12,397.

Quote

The librarian has saved me time… they are able to find evidence where I think there is none to be found
Gaynor Armstrong, Governance Lead Midwife

The ratio of qualified librarians to healthcare staff at George Eliot is 1:720.

Case study 4: Improving productivity

The knowledge specialist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS FT summarised evidence on 11 key topics to identify interventions to deliver health benefits, and contribute to quality and efficiency savings for system-wide transformation.

Quote

I was impressed with the quality of the work …, particularly in terms of the timescales and it made our job a lot easier. It made us able to focus much more on the other elements of the jigsaw. If we hadn’t had the library service, I don’t think we could have done what was done within that timescale.
Kate Hardman, Intelligence, Quality and Performance Manager, Lancashire Public Health

The ratio of qualified librarians to healthcare staff at Lancashire is 1:932

Case study 5: Knowledge management

The Head of Library Services and Knowledge Management at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust completed HEE’s Utilising Evidence and Organisation Knowledge Self-assessment tool with the Medical Division Board.

The experience of completing the self-assessment made the Chief of Medicine more aware of the potential of working with the knowledge services team and particularly in relation to using their Knowledge management skills.

This has helped the team introduce a more robust approach to developing clinical guidelines at the Trust.

Quote

Completing the self-assessment tool has changed the way we will work and how we will use evidence and knowledge. The library team should be our knowledge stewards in the same way as microbiology are the antibiotic stewards for the Trust.
Ben Mearns Chief of Medicine Surrey and Sussex Healthcare

The ratio of qualified librarians to healthcare staff at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare is 1:942

Page last reviewed: 28 September 2023