Set up and end sign-off delegation

Let another prescriber sign your notes for set dates while you're away, and end it early if you need to.

KeelDoctorOwnerguideChecked 2026-10-11

Purpose

A sign-off delegation lets another prescriber at your clinic sign your notes for a set range of dates, for example while you're on leave. They give a reason each time they sign. You can end it at any time.

Before you start

only an Owner or a Doctor can open Sign-off delegations. You set up your own cover. Nobody can set it up for you.

you and the person covering both need prescribing rights (Understand clinical signing authority).

have the dates and a short reason ready, for example "Leave cover".

Steps

Step 1: Open Sign-off delegations

Doselect Settings, then Sign-off delegations.

You'll see"Authorise other prescribers to sign your SOAP notes when you're on leave or unavailable. Cancel anytime." and the counts Active, Upcoming and Expired.

Step 2: Add a delegation

Doselect Add delegation. Choose the Delegate, set From and To, write the Reason for this delegation, then select Save delegation.

You'll seea new row with the delegate, the Coverage window and the reason.

To starts 30 days ahead, and From can't be earlier than today. The reason is "kept with the delegation row, not shown to patients."

Step 3: Check its status

Dolook at the row's Status.

You'll seeUpcoming before the From date, Active during the window and Expired after it.

Sowhile it's Active, the delegate can sign your notes, with a reason each time.

Step 4: End a delegation

Doselect Cancel on the row, then confirm "Cancel this delegation? The delegate will no longer be able to sign on your behalf."

You'll seethe row's status changes to Revoked.

Socover ends straight away. The dates you set stay on the row, so you can see what was planned.

Result

You'll seeyour delegation listed with its window and status, and the Active count includes it during the window.

Keel doesn't tell the delegate. Let them know yourself.

If it doesn't work

If you see: Add delegation is greyed out, with "No other prescribers at this centre yet."Ask your Owner to give a colleague prescribing rights (grant prescribing)
If you see: The doctor you want isn't in the Delegate listOnly colleagues at this centre with prescribing rights are listed
If you see: "you already have a delegation to this doctor in an overlapping date range"Change the dates, or cancel the existing one first
If you see: "Please check the form."Check that To is after From, and that the reason is filled in
If you see: "Could not cancel delegation. Please refresh and try again."Reload the page and select Cancel again
Working: The row shows Upcoming or ActiveDone

Limits

a delegation covers your notes at one centre. If you work at more than one, set it up at each.

you can have more than one delegate for the same dates, but not the same delegate twice for overlapping dates.

if you or your delegate lose prescribing rights, the delegate can't sign for you.

an Owner with prescribing rights can sign your notes as backup without a delegation.

an expired or revoked delegation can't be restarted. Add a new one.

Verification details

Checked against the Keel product source and in the live product on 2026-10-11. The Sign-off delegations card and page for the Owner and a Doctor, with its introduction, the Active, Upcoming and Expired counts, the empty state and Add delegation, were observed. Adding, checking and cancelling a delegation and the error messages were not exercised.