Practice Manager Locum Checklist for Dental Cover

A missing clinician can change the shape of a full day within minutes. Appointments need reviewing, patients need clear communication, the team needs direction and clinical standards cannot be compromised. This practice manager locum checklist helps you turn an urgent staffing gap into a controlled, safe plan for cover.

The best locum shifts are prepared before the clinician walks through the door. A qualified professional may be available quickly, but availability alone is not enough. The practice must be ready to share the right information, confirm appropriate credentials and give the locum the practical support needed to care for patients safely.

Before You Request Locum Cover

Start by defining the gap precisely. Is cover required for a dental nurse, hygienist, therapist or dentist? Confirm the date, working hours, surgery location, anticipated finish time and whether the role includes an unpaid break. If there is flexibility in the start or finish time, say so early. It can make a meaningful difference when arranging short-notice cover.

Next, assess what is genuinely needed that day. A fully booked NHS session, a private treatment list and a mixed practice day can place very different demands on a locum. Consider appointment types, treatment complexity, clinician preferences and whether the incoming professional will need to use a particular system or follow an established surgery routine.

Be clear about the cost of leaving the gap unfilled. It is not only lost production. An understaffed surgery can lead to delayed treatment, pressure on colleagues, frustrated patients and avoidable risks to safe working. In some cases, reducing the list is sensible. In others, reliable cover protects both patient flow and team wellbeing.

When requesting support, have the following details ready:

• the role, date, hours and exact practice location

• the practice type and expected workload

• software, clinical systems or equipment the locum should know about

• parking, public transport access and arrival instructions

• the named contact who will greet and support the locum

• any role-specific expectations, such as decontamination duties or assisting a particular clinician

This allows a specialist dental staffing partner to match the requirement accurately rather than simply filling a name on the rota.

Confirm Compliance Before the Shift Is Booked

Fast cover should never mean rushed compliance. Every clinician working in your practice must be suitable for the role and appropriately checked. For GDC-registered professionals, verify that registration is current and that the individual is working within their scope of practice.

Your agency should be able to confirm the relevant vetting and employment checks for its locums. Depending on the role and arrangement, this may include identity verification, right-to-work checks, professional indemnity, enhanced DBS status, references, training records and occupational health information. Ask what has been checked, when it was checked and how any updates are monitored.

For dentists, confirm the practical requirements that apply in your practice, including performer number arrangements where relevant, access to clinical systems and any local prescribing or referral processes. For hygienists and therapists, establish how treatment plans, prescriptions, records and patient handovers will be managed. For dental nurses, clarify chairside responsibilities, radiography support where appropriate, cross-infection controls and decontamination expectations.

There is no benefit in assuming that a competent locum will automatically know each practice's local procedures. Compliance is partly about credentials, but it is also about ensuring the person can work safely in your setting from the start.

Check the Booking Details in Writing

Before the shift, confirm the agreed rate, hours, break arrangements, payment route and cancellation terms. Clarify who has authority to extend a shift if the day overruns. A brief written confirmation prevents misunderstandings when the practice is busy and the locum is focused on patient care.

It is also worth confirming what happens if circumstances change. A late-running list, an unexpected absence or a surgery issue can affect the planned day. Knowing who to contact for 24/7 staffing support provides reassurance when a problem arises outside standard office hours.

Prepare the Practice for a Safe Arrival

A locum should not have to search for the entrance, wait at reception or spend the first half-hour trying to find basic equipment. Assign one member of the permanent team to welcome them and make sure that person knows the locum is expected.

Provide clear arrival information in advance: where to park, which entrance to use, who to ask for and what time to arrive. For early starts, check that access arrangements work before the shift begins. A locked building or unavailable keyholder creates unnecessary pressure for everyone.

On arrival, allow time for a focused induction. It does not need to be lengthy, but it must cover the information that affects safe care. Show the locum their surgery, introduce the people they will work alongside and explain the day’s schedule. Point out emergency equipment, fire procedures, medical emergency protocols, sharps arrangements, waste streams and the location of key supplies.

Give practical guidance on the practice management system and clinical record standards. Explain how appointments are marked, where medical histories are checked, how consent is recorded and how any concerns should be escalated. If there are preferred templates, local codes or referral pathways, make these available from the outset.

Use This Practice Manager Locum Checklist at Handover

A structured handover keeps the day calm, particularly when the booking has been arranged at short notice. The locum needs enough information to begin confidently, while the permanent team needs to know who is responsible for decisions during the session.

Discuss the treatment list and flag any patients who require additional consideration. This might include anxious patients, complex medical histories, children, patients needing an interpreter or cases where treatment has already been delayed. Handle this information discreetly and in line with your confidentiality procedures.

For a dental nurse, confirm the clinician they are supporting, surgery set-up, instrument preferences and room turnaround process. For a hygienist or therapist, confirm diary timings, available nursing assistance, periodontal charting processes and the route for clinical queries. For a dentist, establish how examinations, treatment planning, radiographs, laboratory work, urgent care and prescriptions are handled locally.

It is equally useful to explain the limits of the role. If a locum is not expected to manage reception queries, laboratory collections or end-of-day cashing up, say so. Clear boundaries prevent small assumptions becoming operational problems.

Keep Communication Open During the Day

Check in after the first few appointments, especially if the clinician is new to your practice. This is not about micromanagement. It is an opportunity to identify an access issue, missing stock, software query or scheduling concern before it affects the whole session.

Encourage the locum to raise concerns early. A professional who feels able to speak up is more likely to flag a clinical issue, a safety risk or an unrealistic diary. That protects patients and helps the practice make proportionate decisions, whether that means adjusting appointment times, bringing in further support or rescheduling non-urgent work.

Review the Shift Before the Locum Leaves

The final ten minutes of a locum booking are often overlooked, yet they can prevent problems later. Confirm that clinical records are complete, laboratory items are clearly identified, prescriptions and referrals have been processed, and any outstanding patient matters have been handed over to the appropriate team member.

Ask whether there were issues with equipment, stock, diary pacing or surgery processes. A short, constructive conversation can reveal practical improvements for the next session. It also gives the locum an opportunity to share feedback that may help your permanent team.

Record whether the clinician would be suitable for future bookings. This should be based on more than whether they arrived on time. Consider communication, clinical professionalism, adaptability, record keeping, teamwork and the experience they created for patients. Reliable continuity becomes much easier when you build a preferred locum pool that understands your practice.

Peace of Mind Dental Staffing supports practices across Birmingham and the West Midlands with fully vetted, GDC-registered dental professionals who are ready to work when cover is needed. The right preparation helps that support translate into a safe, productive day rather than a last-minute compromise.

A locum booking is most successful when it is treated as a clinical handover, not simply a rota fix. Keep this checklist close, review it after each booking and refine it around the way your practice works. That small discipline can protect patient care when the unexpected happens.