Copyright

The NHS in England is covered by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) for copying from books and journals by NHS staff, and this provides less restrictions than would otherwise be the case. However, we must all ensure we comply with the licence in any copying we do.

Copyright law protects the economic and other interests of copyright holders (authors, creators and publishers) by restricting reproduction and reselling of their works.

Visit the copyright pages on the NHS Library Services page or the Copyright Licensing Agency for more information.

Can I make photocopies?

Yes. The NHS Copyright Licence allows NHS staff to make a copy of up to two articles from a journal issue or a single chapter from a book, or 5 per cent of the total publication if greater. In addition, it is permissible to copy any number of articles in a journal issue dealing with a particular theme where a substantial part of the issue is dedicated to that theme.

Making a copy to assist NHS services, for private study or publicly funded research is acceptable. Making copies to support activities that you stand to gain from financially is not acceptable (e.g. if a publisher or pharmaceutical company is going to pay you for your research).

Can I make multiple copies?

Yes. You may make multiple copies of an article or part of a book (subject to the restrictions above) for a meeting or a journal club.

What about online journals and electronic resources?

Material obtained from online resources is protected by license arrangements with the individual supplier and is not covered by the NHS Copyright Licence. In general, this means that each person who requires a copy of an article must download it and print it themselves. So for example, if an article is required by 10 people for a journal club, each person must download and print their own copy. 

Electronic copies of articles or other online resources should not be stored on a computer; they should be printed and the file deleted.

What about getting articles from the Library?

If a member of library staff obtains a copy of an article for you from, you will still be asked to sign a copyright declaration form to confirm that the article is for private study, and if the article is from a source outside the NHS (e.g. the BMA or the British Library Document Supply Centre) we will only be able to supply one article from any one journal issue. Also, any article obtained from outside the NHS may not subseqently be photocopied again.

What happens if I breach copyright?

For lesser offences, damages may be awarded following a civil court action taken by the rights holder against the person making the copies. Damages are awarded in proportion to the degree of economic loss suffered by the rights-holder. Personal liability for Directors is limited to their actual knowledge. For more serious offences such as counterfeiting and resale, unlimited fines and/or up to 10 years in prison can apply.

What is not covered by the copyright licence?

The NHS Copyright Licence only covers printed books and journals owned by the NHS. Material such as electronic journals, CD-ROMs, newspapers and maps are covered by fair dealing provisions or supplier licences that are much more restrictive. In addition, students on placement in the NHS are not covered by the NHS Copyright License and may only copy under fair dealing provisions.

Please note that a number of publishers are not covered by the NHS Copyright Licence. A list of all the excluded publications can be checked on the Copyright Licensing Agency website. If you have any questions, please contact the library

Copyright posters

For display next to all NHS photocopiers and scanners
Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Copyright Poster   
NHS Copyright Poster 

Other useful publications

NHS England User Guidelines 
NHS England Explanatory Leaflet