Action has recently been taken by a centre in a case of clinical coaches sharing log-in details in order to add entries to NPLs for which they were not authorised. Not only does this potentially invalidate entries, but it is a breach of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. Veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons must adhere to the principles of certification, which apply to verification by electronic means as well as signed documents.
The NPL permits only one named clinical coach per student at any one time for reasons of accountability and integrity; permitting a number of staff to access a student’s record using a shared log in seriously undermines this. It is akin to the forgery of signatures and must be regarded, and dealt with, as malpractice if discovered.