JuditH HArvey
locum
workspaces
M
locums and practices need to work
o
.
c
t
o
o
together, but this doesn’t always happen. Dr
H
p
K
c
t
o
Judith Harvey analyses the particular problems
s
Y
5
9
/
i
n
locums face in their working environment
d
“i
want to see a real substitute. they are flexible, is competent. and regular system the practice uses.
doctor” is a typical highly-trained professionals patients can sometimes experienced locums will
response to the all too who can bring special skills benefit from a fresh eye be familiar with widely-
common receptionist’s and insights to practices which picks up problems used systems and new
explanation: “i’m afraid which are disposed to that familiarity has rendered locums can familiarise
dr Jones is on holiday; it’s take advantage of them. if invisible. some locums themselves with the most
only a locum today”. this locum gps practise in an provide practices with a brief common systems, but a
is not a great start to any environment of “enforced biography so that patients practice with a homespun,
locum’s consultation. underperformance”, they, the will know a bit about them off-brand system will be
a locum can feel like an practice, and the patients before their consultation. difficult to navigate even for
oily rag. in an emergency will pay a high price. practices can promote this: the most it-literate visitor.
everybody needs one to why not ask each locum for a gone are the days when
keep the wheels turning, the locum in a biography with a photograph? organising a referral just
but then it is forgotten till the foreign land Most practices claim to meant dictating a letter.
next breakdown. practices in a consultation it is have a locum induction pack. care pathways and clinical
don’t get the best out of important that a patient efforts are made to keep referral systems vary widely.
their investment in locums. and a doctor have an open the pack up-to-date, but partners only need to know
locums may be sitting in mind about each other. it i’ve visited practices where one system on a day-to-day
a partner’s chair, seeing a is worth remembering that the information covering the basis. in the course of a
partner’s patients; they are patients don’t place a high hospital pathology services month’s work, locums may
not the partner, however, value on continuity; they are over the festive period was be dealing with 4 pcos and
nor are they a second-rate happy to see anyone who two years out-of-date. 24 secondary care trusts.
practices should provide telling a locum that all the
the local information that information and forms are “on
doctors need to do their the computer” is unhelpful. if
job. locums can help a locum has to run searches
their fellow locums by to find documents, which
contributing additional notes. can be shrouded under an
if the practice system is uninformative alias, their
accessed using a smart time will be directed away
card, unless a locum has from seeing patients.
this card he/she will have similarly, while any good
to practise without patient locum will endeavour to
records and write paper support the practice’s work
notes. it is helpful if practices on the Qof, enhanced
have someone on hand services and local incentive
who can get the locum up schemes, they will not always
and running without delay. know the computer codes.
templates incorporated into
the locum the clinical software make it
e
g
computer techie much easier for doctors new
r
e
o When a locum starts they to a practice to contribute
g
i
s
immediately need to ask, to practice targets – and,
r
H and practices need to tell hopefully, to patient health.
c
© them, what clinical software some practices still log in
28 sessional gp | voluMe 1 | 2009
www.mps.org.uk
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