If you were off sick tomorrow, would the practice still run?
When everything lives in one person's head, holidays and absences become a crisis. Here is how to write it down without it taking over your life.
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It only takes one to cost you.
- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 1 hour spread over a week
- to start
- scorecard
- Free
- scorecard
The short answer
List every task that would stop if you were off tomorrow, then write a one-page guide for the riskiest first: billing, insurer portals, diary rules and month-end. Move every login into a shared password manager, and train one named back-up per task while you are still there. One guide a week is enough.
What good looks like
Where you stand, before and after
Practice processes
- One-page guides for every key task
- Shared password manager · a trained back-up for each
Illustrative sample, not a real person or result.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
For one week, note every task you do that nobody else could. Mark each by damage if missed: high (money, patient safety, compliance), medium, low
- Time
- 1 hour spread over a week
- Typical cost
- Free
- Who does it
- Practice manager
Why it matters
Seeing the list shows you where the real risk is.
Done when: A ranked list of tasks with a damage rating
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this template
One-page process guide template and cover register
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Process guide: [task name]
Owner: [name] | Back-up: [name] | Last reviewed: [date]
What this is for: [one sentence, for example 'Submitting insured claims through Healthcode so the consultant is paid.']
How often: [daily / weekly / monthly / on demand]
What you need: [system, login name in password manager, documents]
Steps
- [Open X and log in using the 'X' entry in the password manager.]
- [Go to ... and click ...] (screenshot)
- [Check ...]
- [Save / submit / send to ...]
How you know it worked: [for example, claim shows 'submitted' and appears on the weekly report]
If something goes wrong: [who to call, supplier helpline, what not to do]
---
Cover register
| Task | Damage if missed | Guide written | Back-up | Back-up trained (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurer claims and Healthcode | High | |||
| Self-pay invoicing and payment links | High | |||
| Aged debt chasing | High | |||
| Diary rules and clinic set-up | High | |||
| Hospital document renewals | High | |||
| Month-end report | Medium | |||
| Payroll inputs | High | |||
| Supplier contacts and renewals | Medium | |||
| Opening and closing routine | Medium | |||
| Website and Google profile updates | Low |
Emergency contacts sheet
Practice management system support: [number] | Phone system: [number] | IT support: [number] | Bank: [number] | Indemnifier: [number] | Hospital outpatient managers: [names, numbers]
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Trying to write everything in one go and stopping after a week.
- Keeping passwords in a notebook, a spreadsheet or one person's email.
- Writing guides nobody has tested by doing the task from them.
- Naming a back-up but never letting them do the task.
- Forgetting to give the consultant emergency access to logins.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll check how exposed the practice is if you're off, and what to write down first
What I need from you
- Your role
- Answers to seven tap questions
What you get
- The tasks most at risk if you're off
- The first three guides to write
- Who could cover them
Within 2 working days
No sign-in, no sales call. I read every request myself and reply on WhatsApp.
Free tools
Check where you stand
Benchmarks
8 to 12 weeks
Time to document the high-risk tasks in a small practice at one guide a week. 8 to 12 high-risk tasks, one guide a week
Solvable estimate
Paul Robinson
14 years in UK private healthcare
I solve this one for practice managers
Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.
A few quick questions, about two minutes. I read every one myself and usually reply the same day.
No sales call unless you ask for one. Just a straight answer from me.
I reply personally, usually the same day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
I have no time to write guides.
One guide a week, written while you do the task, takes 30 to 60 minutes. Start with the task that would do most damage if missed.
Is a shared password manager safe?
It is far safer than a notebook or shared spreadsheet, as long as two-factor authentication is on and access is removed when people leave.
Who should be my back-up?
Someone already in the practice who is reliable and organised. For a very small practice, a remote secretarial supplier can be the back-up.
Should the consultant know how to do these tasks?
They do not need to do them, but they should know where the guides and logins are.
How detailed should guides be?
Detailed enough that a competent person who has never done it can follow it. Screenshots help more than words.
Last reviewed:
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