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NHS Blood and Transplant Doubled Library Engagement by Taking Their Collection Online

With 5,000 healthcare professionals spread across the UK and limited access to the main library, NHS Blood and Transplant needed their catalog to do more than list books. Soutron built a visual discovery portal inside their SharePoint intranet that gave every member of staff equal access to the full collection, wherever they work.

NHS Blood and Transplant

Table of Contents

Introduction

Objectives

Key Outcomes

Solution

Summary

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How NHSBT Transformed a Physical Library into a Digital Knowledge Service for a Distributed NHS Workforce

When remote staff could not browse physical shelves and had no centralized digital access to resources, NHS Blood and Transplant turned to their long-term Soutron partner to evolve their library platform. The result was a visually engaging discovery portal with subject browsing, book jacket displays, automated new-title carousels, EBSCO eBook integration, and seamless circulation for remote staff, all embedded directly into the NHSBT SharePoint intranet.




Introduction

The NHS Blood and Transplant Library and Knowledge Services support a complex, distributed workforce across the UK, including nurses, clinical scientists, hematologists and healthcare managers.

Under the leadership of Jane Gray, Knowledge and Library Services Manager with over 15 years in post, the organization has relied on Soutron’s Integrated Library System (ILS) for even longer.

With a mission of providing knowledge and evidence to inform clinical and management decision making, providing easy access to collection materials is required, given NHSBT’s goal of enabling staff to save and improve even more lives and the geographically dispersed nature of their workforce.

Jane Gray NHSBT

“Soutron is like a shop window really for the people who can’t come into the library and browse.”

Jane Gray

Knowledge and Library Services Manager




Objectives

NHSBT required a library system that could:

  • Provide easy, intuitive discovery for remote users
  • Serve diverse professional groups with different information needs
  • Integrate seamlessly into existing NHSBT digital environments
  • Support both print and electronic resources
  • Scale and evolve over time

The NHS library provides library services to NHSBT leadership, nurses, scientists, doctors, healthcare managers and more. The organization has a unique operational model characterized by:

  • 700 people at the main site and 5,000+ healthcare professionals located across multiple sites nationwide, unlike the typical NHS hospital
  • Limited physical access to the main library
  • A growing need for digital and remote resource discovery
  • Diverse user groups, from clinicians and scientists to nurses and managers, each with distinct information requirements.

Historically, staff could only browse physical shelves in the library. With no centralized digital access, remote staff struggled to:

  • Discover available resources
  • Access textbooks and organizational publications
  • Stay informed about new materials.

This challenge intensified with the rise of remote work, making a robust, accessible catalog essential.

As Jane described, “People can’t just pitch up at the library and look at the shelves, so our catalog has to do far more.”


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Key Outcomes

  • Library engagement doubled. Moving from a physical-only service to a fully digital discovery portal brought remote staff into the library for the first time, doubling overall engagement with library resources across the organization.
  • 5,000 remote staff gained equal access to the collection. Before Soutron, staff outside the main site had no practical way to discover or request resources. The digital portal gave every healthcare professional across all NHSBT sites the same access as those based at headquarters.
  • A visual discovery experience replaced basic text search. Subject collection trees, semantic metadata tags, book jacket displays, and automated new-title carousels transformed how staff browse, making discovery intuitive for clinicians, nurses, scientists, and managers with very different information needs.
  • Nearly 20 years of continuous partnership and platform evolution. The Soutron ILS has grown alongside NHSBT from a basic text catalog to a SharePoint-integrated knowledge service, demonstrating the platform’s ability to scale and adapt as organizational needs change.

Solution

A Long-Term Partnership with Soutron Global

For nearly 20 years, the Soutron Integrated Library System (ILS) has provided a customizable, user-friendly library solution to NHSBT, demonstrating Soutron’s adaptability and long-term value.

The NHSBT library platform has evolved alongside the organization’s needs, growing from a basic text catalog to a sophisticated, visually engaging discovery portal built directly into NHSBT’s SharePoint intranet ensuring quick access, meeting the demands of a modern, distributed healthcare workforce.

Key capabilities delivered: 

Remote Access Discovery Tools

  • Staff browse new titles, subject collections and cataloged resources visually, including book jackets and automated new-item carousels 

Collection Trees / Subject Browsing

  • Semantic metadata tags make browsing intuitive for unfamiliar users

“We can just click nursing… or transplantation… or transfusion science… and it lists all the current books. It’s so much easier to browse and be inspired,” states Jane.

Seamless Circulation for Distributed Staff

  • Remote users request books for delivery through an internal logistics system

Integrated Print + e-Resources

  • EBSCO eBooks and others improve access to high-demand textbooks across the organization

Customized Library Portal Branding

  • Clear labeling as “Library Catalog” (instead of “Soutron”), improving recognition and ease of use among staff

Summary

NHS Blood and Transplant UK Site NHS Blood and Transplant’s implementation of Soutron’s ILS demonstrates how the right integrated library system can transform service delivery for distributed organizations.

The longevity of the partnership highlights Soutron’s ability to adapt, scale and continue delivering value as organizational needs evolve.

“Soutron is like a shop window really for the people who can’t come into the library and browse.” Jane Gray, Knowledge and Library Services Manager, NHS Blood and Transplant.

To find out more about NHS Blood and Transplant and the range of NHS services available, visit their website for details: www.nhsbt.nhs.uk

To find out how you can migrate to a fast, secure, integrated library system to support your healthcare organization, book a 20 minute discovery call with us today, see below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Soutron integrate a library catalog directly into a SharePoint intranet for NHS staff?

Yes. Soutron's library portal can be embedded directly into a SharePoint intranet environment. NHS Blood and Transplant built their Soutron-powered discovery portal into the NHSBT SharePoint intranet, giving all staff quick access to the full library collection without leaving their standard digital workspace.

Can Soutron support an NHS library that serves a large distributed workforce across multiple sites?

Yes. Soutron is designed for distributed organizations. NHSBT has 700 staff at their main site and over 5,000 healthcare professionals across multiple UK locations. Soutron's cloud-based ILS gave all staff equal access to library resources and allowed remote users to request books for delivery through an internal logistics system.

Does Soutron support subject-based browsing and visual discovery for healthcare library users?

Yes. Soutron includes collection trees, semantic metadata tags, book jacket displays, and automated new-title carousels that make browsing intuitive for users with different information needs. NHSBT Knowledge and Library Services Manager Jane Gray described the experience as allowing staff to click a subject like nursing or transplantation and immediately see all current books in that area.

Can Soutron integrate with EBSCO eBooks and other electronic resource platforms for NHS libraries?

Yes. Soutron integrates with EBSCO eBooks and other electronic resource platforms, allowing NHS libraries to provide staff with access to high-demand digital textbooks alongside their print collection through a single discovery portal.

About the Author
The Soutron editorial team covers archive, library and information management for specialist organizations. Our writers work alongside our product and client teams to make sure everything we publish reflects real-world practice, drawn from over 40 years of experience in the industry.
Soutron Editorial Team