Make the handover easier to pick up.
A short, repeatable handover makes the next useful action easier to find.
Published 8 September 2026. General workflow guidance, not clinical, legal or compliance advice. Follow your organisation's policies and the requirements that apply to your work.
Separate the record from the next action
The note records the support delivered. The handover should make outstanding actions clear. State what needs doing, who needs to pick it up and any relevant timing. Avoid leaving a task implied in the middle of a long paragraph.
Keep one agreed place for routine handover
Agree where the team checks routine handover information. Scattering updates across personal texts, email and several apps makes it harder to know which record is current. Use channels approved by your organisation for the information involved.
Distinguish routine from urgent
Do not assume that saving a note means a person has seen it. Use the organisation's escalation process for urgent concerns. A routine notification or an unread handover is not confirmation that an urgent issue is being managed.
Close the loop
When a follow-up is completed, record the outcome in the agreed place. The next person should not have to guess whether it is still outstanding. Include enough context to understand the outcome without repeating unnecessary personal information.
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