All GP practices should provide unique and confidential computer logins for locum doctors to ensure that they can be identified at a later date, urges the Medical Protection Society (MPS).
MPS is aware of cases where an adverse event has occurred, yet there was no way of identifying who was involved, because different locums were sharing the same login. Speaking today at a conference for locum GPs, Dr Stephanie Bown, MPS director of policy and communications, said:
Medical records should be attributable, the author of any entry should be clear. When making electronic records locums should not share usernames and passwords as it is important for practices to be able to identify the author of an entry and who saw the patient.