08 • Careers


LOCUM SUCCEEDING AS A


T locum work.


Plan ahead Towards the end of my training I sent my CV with covering letters to all the local surgeries. (The NHS ‘Find GP services’ web page is great for finding practices in England or nhs24.scot in Scotland.) I followed up with a phone call and email to their practice managers (PMs) who requested a number of documents before I could start work.


These include: • Documents confirming entitlement to work in the UK


• Certificate of completion of training • Performers list confirmation • GMC certificate • Medical indemnity certificate • DBS check


RANSITIONING into a locum career can be a daunting process whether you are a newly qualified GP looking for variety or a partner changing career direction. There are many reasons why a GP may choose to become a locum, but leaving behind the continuity of one practice and regular paid employment has its challenges.


As I approached the end of my GP training I remember feeling


uncomfortable at the thought of walking away from secure employment. However, I wanted to challenge myself by working in different practices. I also wanted to understand how practices adapted to meeting their patients’ needs. Working with different patient populations and on different portfolio roles was also important to me. So, when I finished my GP training, I decided to work as a locum GP. Below are some steps GPs can take to make a successful transition to


Locum GP Surina Chibber, co-founder of MyLocumManager.com, offers practical tips on a successful career


• Immunisation status - Hep B • Child safeguarding training certificate • Basic life support training certificate. I saved all these as a PDF that could be easily emailed but you could


also create and share a document from a file sharing site such as Dropbox. I prefer to liaise directly with practices but the alternative is to use agencies/third parties to source work. This comes with its own challenges. You may find that after the initial introduction to practices you’d rather work without a middleman, but it’s important to be aware of the terms and conditions. Often you will be prohibited from working directly with practices if the work is sourced via a third party.


Be responsive PMs tend to have lists of locums with whom they communicate regularly, while others may use a Whatsapp group to post upcoming sessions. Once you are added to these lists, you will begin to receive work offers. You should respond promptly as it is often allocated on a first come, first served basis. I find the best approach is to contact practices directly and build up a portfolio of workplaces where you are familiar with local policies and pathways and can provide good patient care.


Admin Be sure to keep a diary of all your booked sessions. This may sound obvious but double booking can happen and makes everyone’s life difficult. Using scheduling software like My Locum Manager can simplify the process. Additionally, have a system to create invoices, log expenses, track mileage, monitor the number of sessions you are working in line with your indemnity and collect all work data for your accountant. You may have additional portfolio jobs which contribute to your income. You can do this manually, on Excel, or with a bespoke locum business toolkit like My Locum Manager. Ensure you have found a good medical accountant who can advise whether to set up as a sole trader or limited company.


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