Q. What is OpenAthens for the NHS?

OpenAthens is used to authenticate eligible students to the health resources provided by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). It is an Identity and Access Management System similar to Brunel Sign In.

The OpenAthens for the NHS HEI scheme is provided to eligible members of Higher Education Institutions: if you are a student from the Department of Health Sciences or Brunel Medical School, and you are due to go on placement with the NHS, then you will be provided with an OpenAthens account at the start of your course (teaching and support staff are also issued with an OpenAthens account so that they can advise our students).

Look for an email containing an activation code. Check your 'junk e-mail" folder if it is not visible in your mailbox or contact the OpenAthens Administrator. See the related FAQ below: How do I get an NHS OpenAthens account? N.B Self-registration for an OpenAthens account is not permitted under the OpenAthens for the NHS HEI scheme.

If you are studying or teaching other subject disciplines then you are not eligible for an NHS OpenAthens account. Instead, you should use Brunel Library's website or your subject guides to access online resources (see relevant links below - access is provided via Brunel Sign In using your Brunel University network username and password).

For the avoidance of doubt, eligibility under the OpenAthens for the NHS HEI scheme includes:

Individuals engaged to provide education, training or research for the NHS in England (G)

Examples: educators contracted to provide training to the NHS, librarians delivering services to NHS, researchers contracted to do DH- or NHS-funded research.

Healthcare students, from the date of commencement of an education programme which involves practice and placement within NHS provider services, for the duration of their programme (H)

Note: Healthcare students at universities which have an OpenAthens administrator can have an NHS OpenAthens account for the duration of their course. Students at these universities will have NHS accounts set up for them by their administrator and should not attempt to register online. Healthcare students can also register for an NHS OpenAthens account when on their NHS placement.