Plan the routine around your site
Define the veterinary practice premises checklist with the practice manager so its non-clinical scope is explicit. Staff facilities, authorised reception areas and general building observations are different from clinical-area procedures. Assign tasks only to people with the appropriate instructions and access. Keep patient, owner, medicine and treatment information out of a shared premises finding. A useful operational report identifies where an issue was observed, what immediate response followed the practice procedure and who received it. If an area is unavailable, record that limitation instead of implying it was inspected.
Agree the assigned role, due window, expected record and escalation route with the people who do and review the work. Include an honest outcome for work that could not be completed, with a reason and a next action.
What to include in the checklist
These are planning examples. Adapt the questions and timing to your approved procedures and the person’s responsibilities.
| Routine | Work to define | Useful record |
|---|---|---|
| Premises handover | Review current building or equipment restrictions. | Area and action reference. |
| Assigned scope | Identify the non-clinical areas in this routine. | Area list and due window. |
| Shared facilities | Complete approved general facilities tasks. | Person, time and actual outcome. |
| Visible defects | Record observations within the assigned access and training. | Location and appropriate evidence. |
| Escalation | Inform the responsible practice or facilities lead. | Recipient and immediate response. |
| Maintenance follow-up | Review authorised work and its next action. | Owner, outcome and verification reference. |
Do not label a general facilities round as a clinical inspection
State the areas and tasks that were actually included. An administrative premises report must not imply verification of treatment, medicines, clinical equipment or infection-control outcomes.
Give the next shift enough context
A loose fitting is observed in an authorised staff facilities room. The reporter records the position and informs the practice lead, following the premises restriction procedure. Facilities records the work undertaken and the authorised lead reviews the outcome. Clinical-area access and patient decisions remain in the practice’s separate processes.
Identify the area or asset, the observation, the actual result, the immediate action and who was informed. Attach useful evidence where safe and permitted. A photograph supports a finding without establishing its cause.
- Keep the original observation and time.
- Assign a specific next action and agree when it will be reviewed.
- Record the later outcome and authorised verification beside the finding.
Read the guide to writing a useful fault report for a closer look at the evidence record.
Review the work still needing attention
Review how long non-clinical premises actions remain without an update and whether the location references are clear. A facilities completion total should not be presented as evidence that clinical procedures or infection-control tasks were verified.
Review completion and outstanding actions together. A missing routine and a completed routine with a failure need different follow-up. The weekly manager review guide explains how to move from the summary to the source record.
For the wider workflow, explore cleaning & readiness examples and planning and equipment & findings examples and planning.
Try the routine in CheckControl
Start with an existing routine, add its questions and instructions, and agree the assignment and due window. Staff can record answers and findings on their phones; managers can review the record and follow-up. Use the relevant PDF or Excel export for your authorised review. The public demo uses fictional people, findings and evidence.
Common questions
Can veterinary practices use CheckControl for patient or medicine records?
This example covers non-clinical premises tasks and maintenance handover. The practice should keep patient, medicine and treatment records in its approved specialist systems.
What is the scope of this guide?
This is for non-clinical premises records. Keep patient and client information, medicines, infection-control decisions, treatment and specialist equipment checks in the practice’s approved clinical systems and competent processes.
Sources and scope
CheckControl wrote these record-design and handover examples. Use your organisation’s approved specialist procedures and the relevant authoritative guidance: HSE: working with animals and zoonoses. Source checked 5 October 2026.
This is for non-clinical premises records. Keep patient and client information, medicines, infection-control decisions, treatment and specialist equipment checks in the practice’s approved clinical systems and competent processes.