Make shared and local clinic settings clear

What this means for your practice

Make it clear which settings affect the whole group and which affect only one clinic. Show the locations a change will affect before saving, and agree who can approve wider changes.

What to ask before you choose

Change one clinic's opening rule in a test system and check other sites retain their arrangements. Then inspect a shared setting and its approval route. Staff should recognise the difference before editing, with a history available to explain any unexpected effect later.

Show which locations a change will affect

Ask the supplier to label shared settings and local choices where staff actually edit them. A manager should not have to remember which screen changes one clinic and which changes the whole group. Before saving an important change, the affected locations should be clear.

Use a test example involving opening arrangements or a booking option. Change the local setting and check both that clinic and another location. Then demonstrate a shared change and the approval needed to make it. Include a local exception so the team can understand whether the shared update preserves it or intentionally replaces it. Keep a history that identifies the person and reason for a change. If staff discover an unexpected effect, they need someone who can investigate and an agreed route to restore the intended arrangement. Clear labels, appropriate permissions and representative checks work together; a warning message alone will not resolve uncertainty about who should be allowed to change the group's working rules.

How to check the result

Track cross-location effects discovered after a configuration change.