Using our content in the UK

The NICE UK open content licence is a self-assessment exercise:

  1. Read the licence carefully before using our content and adhere to its terms and conditions.
  2. Fill in the use of NICE content form below, telling us how you intend to use our content.

Content assurance service

Our experts can review the use of NICE content in your products or services.

Our services include:

  • checking your use of our content for accuracy and context
  • editorial services
  • feedback on your use of our content
  • fast turnaround
  • approval of artwork.
Find out more about our content assurance service.
View the NICE UK open content licence

Read the licence carefully before using our content and adhere to its terms and conditions.

  1. You are encouraged to use the information that is available under this licence freely and flexibly, with only a few conditions.

Using information under this licence

  1. Using the copyright material expressly made available under this licence (the 'information') indicates you accept its terms and conditions.
  2. NICE grants you a UK-only, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the information subject to the conditions below.
  3. This licence does not affect your freedom under fair dealing or fair use or any other copyright or database right exceptions and limitations.
  4. Under the terms of this licence you may:
    • edit, copy, publish, distribute and transmit the information, in part or in full, save for content covered in clause 6;
    • translate the information (see 'definitions');
    • exploit the information commercially and non-commercially – for example, by combining it with other information, or by including it in your own product or application.
  5. Under the terms of this licence you are not permitted to:
    • amend or adapt the wording or structure of any published individual NICE guidance recommendations, quality statements or substantial algorithms. These should be reproduced as originally published by NICE (see 'definitions');
    • display the information next to any advertising or promotional text(s) or use the information in or on websites, or alongside services that feature content (in any form) in any of the categories set out in Schedule A.
  6. Under the terms of this licence you must:
    • acknowledge the source of the information in the 'product' (including if the content is not visible but used to underpin a product in part or in full) in which it is used by including an attribution statement and a disclaimer. (A product means any route by which you distribute the information, such as a publication, article or application). Where possible, the statement should link to both this licence and the NICE source material. The form of words we require is:

      '© NICE [YEAR] TITLE. Available from www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ngXX All rights reserved. Subject to Notice of rights

      NICE guidance is prepared for the National Health Service in England. All NICE guidance is subject to regular review and may be updated or withdrawn. NICE accepts no responsibility for the use of its content in this product/publication.'

  7. If your article, publication, product or app is to have longevity, you must make it clear that the information provided by NICE was accurate at the time your product was issued.
  8. Please note that copyright in the original NICE publication(s) covered by this licence is not transferable and rests with NICE.
  9. You will own the copyright in the format/layout/typographical arrangement of the information in your own product to the extent that it differs from that of NICE content.
  10. The conditions of this licence are important and if you fail to comply with them the rights granted to you under this licence, or any similar licence granted by NICE, will end automatically.

Exemptions

  1. This licence does not cover:
    • Personal data in the information (see definitions);
    • Information that has not been accessed by way of publication or disclosure under information access legislation (including the Freedom of Information Acts for the UK and Scotland) or with the consent of NICE.
    • Current and former NICE logos; the former National Prescribing Centre logo; the Health Development Agency logo; and other partners' logos.
    • Content that is made available as part of a consultation process and is subject to amendment before formal publication by NICE.
    • Content that is made available through the NICE Scientific Advice programme.
    • Third-party rights that NICE is not authorised to licence - it is incumbent on you to seek permission to use any identified third-party copyright content in the NICE information covered by this licence. For the avoidance of doubt, this covers all Clinical Knowledge Summaries, the British National Formulary and its derivative outputs, the 'full' versions of NICE clinical guidelines commissioned from National Collaborating Centres, and economic models underpinning guidance development work.
    • Other intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, and design rights.

Non-endorsement

  1. Granting you this licence does not confer an approval or endorsement of your article / publication / product / app or any accompanying marketing materials. You must not give any such implication that NICE endorses either you or your product.

Excluded organisations and content categories

  1. Schedule A lists those organisations and content categories excluded from using NICE content under this licence.

No warranty

  1. The information is licensed 'as is' and NICE excludes all representations, warranties, obligations and liabilities in relation to the information to the maximum extent permitted by law.
  2. NICE is not liable for any errors or omissions in the information and shall not be liable for any loss, injury or damage of any kind caused by its use.
  3. NICE does not guarantee the continued supply of the information.
  4. NICE gives no warranty that the NICE content under this licence is fit for your intended purpose.

Governing Law

  1. This licence is subject to English law and the English courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

Definitions

  1. In this licence, the terms below have the following meanings:
    • 'Amend' means to change the words or structure of specific content which is prohibited for certain types of NICE content listed in clause 6 of this licence.
    • 'Information' means information protected by copyright or by database right (for example, literary and artistic works, content, data and source code) offered for use under the terms of this licence.
    • 'NICE' is the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or its 2 predecessor organisations - the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
    • 'Personal data' is defined in Article 2 of European Data Protection Directive by reference to whether information relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
    • 'Translate' means either translating content into another language or electronically repurposing it for use in the UK only.
    • 'Use' means doing any act which is restricted by copyright or database right, whether in the original medium or in any other medium, and includes without limitation distributing, copying, adapting (subject to the caveat in clause 5), modifying as may be technically necessary to use it in a different mode or format.
    • 'You', 'you' and 'your' means the natural or legal person, or body of persons corporate or incorporate, acquiring rights in the information (whether the information is obtained directly from NICE or otherwise) under this licence.

Further information

  1. For further information about this licence please contact:

Schedule A: content categories and organisations not covered by this licence

  1. Political,that is, lobby groups, pressure groups and political parties.
  2. Religious bodies.
  3. Content promoting any tobacco products or any other goods bearing tobacco applicant brand.
  4. Content promoting betting and gambling.
  5. Content promoting adult services including escort agencies and premium rate telephone numbers for adult chat services.
  6. Content promoting weapons, weapon manufacturers and gun clubs.
  7. Content promoting, encouraging or facilitating violence.
  8. Content that is libellous, misleading, pornographic, defamatory, or that contains illegal, infringing, or otherwise actionable content under UK law.
  9. Content that incites hatred whether based on race, religion, gender, sexuality or otherwise, or promote encourage or facilitate anti-social behaviour
  10. Content that promotes, encourages or facilitates terrorism or other activities that risk UK national security.
  11. Content that discriminates against any specific social group or otherwise exploits vulnerable sections of society.
  12. Content that contains exaggerated, misleading or false claims.
  13. Content that exploits the credulity, lack of knowledge or inexperience of consumers.
  14. Content that might cause offence or harm or may otherwise bring NICE into disrepute.
  15. Content categories otherwise notified to you by NICE.

You can also download the NICE Open Content Licence (PDF).