Whether you are newly qualified or are looking for some variety in your career we have an overview of everything you will need to operate as a Locum GP in the UK along with some useful tips that you might find helpful.
Firstly, you will need to ensure that you have everything in place in terms of compliance and documentation…
• You will be registered with a license to practice on the GMC and be on the GP register https://www.gmc-uk.org/
• You must be on the GP performers list for England and registered as a GP Performer https://secure.pcse.england.nhs.uk/PerformersLists
• An up-to-date CV
• An active NHS Smartcard
• NHS email address
• Enhanced DBS with a valid subscription to the DBS Update Service https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service alternatively a new DBS search and certificate can be processed at a cost of £49.50
• Professional Indemnity cover – with the appropriate level of cover for sessions you expect to work
• Passport
• If required supporting documentation of Right to Work, this could be evidence of BRP https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits or Share Code https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work/get-a-share-code-online
• Evidence of vaccinations and immunity including MMR, Varicella and HepB or supporting declaration form
• Valid Safeguarding training certificates for both Adults and Children at Level 3 or higher
• Valid BLS training certificate
• 2 clinical references from most recent employers, to cover a minimum of 12 months within the last 2 years.
• What area do you want to locum in, if it’s a different area to where you have trained or previously worked what’s the area demographic like, do they use different systems locally?
• How many sessions on average (ideally) per week would you need to work and consider that this may be variable week on week or month to month, depending on demand.
• Think about when you plan to take your time off. Half terms and School Holidays see an increase in locum work, so it might be worth planning to work during these times where possible.
• How are you planning to get there? Would you be able to commute easily for anything urgent or last minute if needed to broaden your scope of work.
• If you are considering taking work away from home, how much can you afford for accommodation and travel costs etc. Airbnb along with reliable budget-friendly hotels like Premier Inn are popular depending on area.
• Consider the maximum patients/appointments you feel comfortable with per session to ensure you are accepting locums within the scope of your work. Would you consider additional responsibilities for the practice such as Home Visits, Shared Admin or Duty?
• How will you manage your invoicing? Will it be through standard templates or via invoicing software .
• Will you operate through a Limited Company or as a Sole Trader, this will also shape your decisions around if you plan to contribute to your NHS Pension.
• Keep in touch with the locum consultant to update your availability frequently so you don’t miss out on any opportunities
• Most practices will have a Locum Pack and if you receive this before you start it’s a good idea to read through this as it will contain key information that will help you on the day.
• Address of the practice you will be working at. If it’s a multi-site practice, make sure you are clear of which site you will be working from.
• Who is your main contact at the site?
• Do you have a contact number of the practice or agency consultant saved in your phone in case you are running late so you can quickly and easily make the call.
• If it wasn’t included in the Locum Pack or you don’t receive it before your first day, it’s also worth looking at the practice website to familiarise yourself with other Clinicians and key management so you know who you might meet around the practice.
• Start time – its recommended to turn up 15 minutes early to make sure all logins work and be prepared for your first appointment of the day. If it’s your first day, practices might block out some time first thing to give you an induction, health and safety chat and show you round the building, or you might have done this separately if you will be there as a long-term locum.
• Timings of the day, when does your AM and PM clinic start.
• Workload, how many patient appointments will you have throughout the day. Will they be a mix of telephone and F2F and what is the appointment length.
• What demographic does the practice typically look after, this could help to prepare for what kinds of consultations you will likely be have on the day.
• Will you be expected to do Home Visits and do you have everything you need in your Kitbag for appointments on and off site. Medical equipment can be variable depending on practice – we have another useful article covering this!
• Alongside the essential system such as EMIS, SystmOne etc do they use any other Software that you will be expected to access and use during your clinics.
We hope this has been a helpful guide to starting as a Locum GP in a competitive market. If you want to discuss anything related to this article you can get in touch with the Locum GP Team on 0113 3501308.
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For more details or if you would like to discuss this with our team further, please get in touch with Thomas who would be happy to go through this with you. Contact us today to arrange a time to speak.
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