Introduction
Starting as a new resident doctor in the UK's National Health Service presents a steep learning curve. You are expected to deliver safe, efficient patient care in high-pressure ward and clinic environments, where rapid access to evidence-based guidance is not just helpful, but essential (NHS England). Clinical reference tools are your indispensable co-pilots in this journey, designed to streamline decision-making by providing validated, up-to-date information precisely at the point of care (NICE).
This article provides a blueprint for new UK resident doctors on the key national and local resources available, and how to integrate them effectively into your daily workflow.
National evidence summaries
These resources form the bedrock of evidence-based practice across the UK, providing nationally recognised guidance.
NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides CKS as a go-to resource for primary care and first-contact settings. It offers over 370 concise summaries covering the most common conditions you will encounter. Crucially, these are updated weekly to reflect the latest evidence (NICE). Key features include easy-to-follow algorithmic management pathways, downloadable patient information leaflets, and a "quick answers" search interface designed for time-pressured clinicians (NICE).
BMJ Best Practice
BMJ Best Practice is a comprehensive, point-of-care tool designed to support diagnosis and treatment. It delivers daily-updated, peer-reviewed guidance on diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. Its strengths lie in its detailed, step-by-step approach, including dedicated support for managing patients with complex comorbidities (BMJ Best Practice). The platform also offers integrated medical calculators, drug-interaction checking, and the ability to set up customisable topic alerts to stay current (BMJ Best Practice).
iatroX
As a next-generation tool, iatroX is an AI-powered platform designed for the speed of modern clinical practice. It provides instant question-and-answer capabilities and structured brainstorming tools built on a foundation of UK guidelines and peer-reviewed research, offering rapid evidence-based decision support (iatrox.com). In addition, it includes thousands of exam-style quizzes aligned with UK curricula, allowing you to reinforce your knowledge, track your learning, and support your continuous professional development (iatrox.com).
Local trust guidelines
Alongside national guidance, it is vital to familiarise yourself with your local Trust's own clinical guidelines and pathways. These institution-specific protocols are typically accessible via the Trust intranet or dedicated document repositories and are essential for aligning your practice with locally approved standards (Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham Healthcare Trust).
Common examples that you will need to access frequently include:
- Local antimicrobial formularies and prescribing guidelines.
- Acute management pathways for conditions like sepsis or acute coronary syndromes.
- Specialty-specific procedural manuals and consent policies.
Effective use tips
Having access to these tools is the first step; integrating them efficiently into your workflow is what makes them truly powerful.
- Single Sign-On & EHR integration: Many Trusts have integrated resources like BMJ Best Practice directly into their electronic health records (e.g., EMIS, Epic). Utilise these integrations to reduce workflow disruptions and access information with a single click (BMJ Best Practice).
- Mobile & offline access: The reality of hospital work often involves areas with limited Wi-Fi. Install the mobile apps for key resources like the BNF, BMJ Best Practice, and iatroX, and download offline content where possible to ensure you're never without critical information (Google Play).
- Subscribe to update alerts: Stay ahead of the curve by activating email or app notifications for new guidelines, drug safety updates, and significant topic changes from providers like NICE and BMJ Best Practice (NICE).
- Bookmark & quick-access links: Create a personal "favourites" list or a folder of browser bookmarks for your most-used topics and local guidelines. This can dramatically minimise search time during a busy on-call shift (NICE).
- Structured learning sessions: To get the most out of these powerful tools, allocate a small amount of time each week—your 'tool time'—to explore advanced features like evidence grading, algorithm filters, or new quiz topics. This reinforces learning and ensures you are using the platforms to their full potential (library.hee.nhs.uk).
Conclusion
A strategic combination of national evidence summaries like NICE CKS and BMJ Best Practice, innovative AI-enhanced platforms like iatroX, and essential local Trust protocols will equip you with a robust and efficient information toolkit. Mastering these resources is a key step in building the confidence to deliver high-quality, safe, and effective patient care as a new UK resident doctor (NICE).
We encourage you to trial these resources during your on-boarding and induction, track how they impact your time-to-answer for clinical questions, and solicit feedback from senior colleagues to continuously optimise your personal reference ecosystem.