The world moves on. Change is a constant. So, how do you discern the truth in our ever-changing world?

Health systems across the globe face many similar challenges: ageing populations, often with multiple health conditions; pressure on resources, both financial and human; harnessing emerging technologies to improve healthcare; the impact of climate change and conflicts; finding the best ways to work in partnership; and ensuring that healthcare is managed and delivered in ways that are truly designed for local populations and are fair and inclusive for everyone in society.

In my part of Yorkshire, I lead a new organisation, an Integrated Care Board, where all these issues are part of the ‘everyday’ in providing health and social care to 2.4 million people. Working together, all the NHS organisations in West Yorkshire, including primary care as well as local councils and voluntary organisations, are committed to:

• • Improving health outcomes for all people using information, data and insight

• • Tackling inequality in experiences, outcomes and access

• • Enhancing value for money and productivity

• • Helping support broader social and economic development.

We understand that information, data and insight are crucial in delivering our plans. Knowledge and library specialists are part of the highly skilled workforce that help us ensure that everything we do, from executive decisionmaking to frontline care, from treating complex conditions in big teaching hospitals to everyday care in general practice, is informed by evidence from research and by the experience and the know-how of our staff.

In 2021, writing in support of England’s national strategy for the development of knowledge and library services, Knowledge for Healthcare, I said, ‘Our library and knowledge service enables us to be a learning organisation, ensuring our staff are well supported to make informed decisions and drive innovation.’

Two years on, that is truer than ever. Knowledge and library staff must be an indispensable part of a healthcare system that is changing rapidly and needs fast, reliable and trustworthy information to enable healthcare staff to feel confident that every intervention and clinical decision is underpinned by evidence and best practice.

Making sure we have a well trained health knowledge and library workforce is as important as making sure we have well trained doctors and nurses. So, I am delighted to see this book published as an introduction to the world of health knowledge management and librarianship.