How to Train Locums Quickly on Your Practice Tech Stack

Executive Overview

Locum clinicians need rapid, structured onboarding so they can use your digital systems safely from the first session. This guide covers how to prepare, deliver, and reinforce training using resources you already have, while meeting clinical safety and information governance requirements.

Prepare Before the Locum Arrives

Create a digital welcome pack: include system access instructions, contact details for IT and the duty clinician, clinical safety policies, and escalation routes.
Confirm access in advance: request smartcard permissions, NHSmail accounts, and practice system logins at least five working days before the first shift.
Assign a “digital buddy”: choose an on-site clinician or experienced administrator who can answer questions during the first session.
Update the safety file: note the locum’s start date and ensure hazard logs reference any temporary changes to workflows or permissions.

Focus Training on High-Risk Workflows

Structure the briefing around the journeys most likely to affect patient safety:

Electronic Patient Record (EPR): locating patient information, recording consultations, issuing prescriptions, and filing results.
Online consultation triage: reviewing submissions, applying triage categories, and documenting decisions.
Tasking and messaging: responding to internal/external messages, escalating urgent cases, and closing tasks.
Repeat prescribing and medicines management: checking medication histories, understanding local formularies, and safety alerts.
Referral and document workflows: generating referrals, attaching documents, and tracking responses.

Use screenshots or short screen recordings to demonstrate each workflow. Keep sessions to 30–45 minutes and provide reference sheets for later.

Deliver a Structured Day-One Orientation

In-person or video walkthrough: the digital buddy guides the locum through live systems, checking logins and access rights.
Safety briefing: highlight DCB0160 expectations, incident reporting process, and how to use the safety log.
Practical checklist: confirm access to smartcards, printers, templates, patient messaging, and dictation tools.
Shadow period: if possible, arrange a short observation of another clinician completing key digital tasks.

Record completion of the orientation in the training log and store any signed checklists in the safety file.

Provide Quick-Reference Aids

One-page cheat sheets covering key shortcuts, contact details, and escalation steps.
Microlearning videos (2–3 minutes) accessible from the shared workspace for on-demand refreshers.
FAQs addressing common issues such as lost smartcards, resetting passwords, or locating patient attachments.

Ensure reference materials are updated after system upgrades or process changes.

Support During and After the Session

Daily check-ins: the digital buddy or practice manager checks progress at the end of the first two clinics.
Safety monitoring: review incident logs and task completion for the first week to spot any gaps early.
Feedback loop: invite locums to flag confusing processes; update training materials accordingly.
Access removal: when the locum departs, revoke logins and smartcard permissions promptly to maintain security.

Scenario: Millbrook Health Centre

Millbrook created a locum onboarding kit hosted in Microsoft Teams. The pack includes a 30-minute slide deck, system walk-through videos, and a checklist covering EPR workflows, online consultation triage, and messaging. Locums meet their digital buddy before the first session via video call, complete the checklist on day one, and receive a follow-up call after clinic. The approach reduced onboarding time to under an hour and cut safety-related incidents involving locums to near zero.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Last-minute access: without logins ready, locums waste clinic time or share accounts—both security risks.
Information overload: focus on critical workflows; provide extra detail in optional resources.
No feedback channel: without feedback, training materials become outdated and issues repeat.
Forgetting offboarding: remove access immediately after the final session to protect patient data.

Action Checklist

Assemble a digital welcome pack with system guides, contacts, and safety policies.
Verify access credentials and smartcard permissions before the locum’s start date.
Assign a digital buddy and schedule a structured orientation session.
Provide quick-reference materials and record training completion in the safety log.
Review performance and feedback after the first clinics and update materials as needed.

Resources to Bookmark

Key Takeaways

Efficient locum training relies on preparation, focused safety briefings, and ongoing support. With a reusable welcome pack, digital buddy system, and quick-reference materials, locums can deliver safe, confident care from their first session.