Policy

The focus of HLG’s policy work is:

To promote the value and role of health librarians to policymakers and external organisations.

The main policy activities of HLG are to respond to consultations on public policy and to contribute to CILIP’s public policy activity. This includes a role within the CILIP Policy Committee.

In 2021, HLG, as part of the Health and Social Care Knowledge Exchange, developed a policy statement on eBooks and the need for affordable publishing models for libraries to access.

The Health Libraries Group contributed to a new policy development framework for CILIP, based on CILIP’s ethical framework.

HLG responded to a consultation on shared decision-making as part of the development of the NICE shared decision-making guidelines. This will have been one of the contributory responses that led to changes in the guidelines, indicating that patient information materials should be based on current evidence and that training for shared decision-making conversations should include health literacy techniques.

At a point of change within local structures in the NHS, the policy function within the Health Libraries Group advised the committee on the implications of the Health and Care Bill 2021 and the Health and Social Care Plan 2021.

If you would like to know more about our policy work or to become involved, please contact HLG’s Policy Officer Ruth Carlyle.