Operating as a locum physician in the UK and Ireland is a great alternative to a permanent post in a hospital or a general practice. Subsequently, the responsibilities and duties would likely be more or less similar. There are several distinctions between a permanent doctor and a locum doctor. Operating as a locum doctor is a well-paid job that allows them to structure their own schedules and shifts accordingly. To put it differently, locums are basically regular doctors who have increased flexibility over their salary and working hours.
Other than increased income and flexibility, operating as a locum doctor has other advantages. For instance, an enhanced work-life balance, and create an expansive professional network. This is the reason why most physicians select both. Going for a locum job as a way of earning more money during the weekends, for instance. This is a very profitable and convenient method to increase your earnings. Venturing into this spectrum of medicare is no doubt a must-consider alternative for doctors looking for a change!
This read will give you an insight into how to find Locum jobs in the UK and Ireland.
What is a Locum Doctor?
Chances are that you don’t know who exactly is a locum doctor or what locum even means. ‘Locum’ is the short form of “locum tenens” which is a Latin phrase that means ‘place holder’; as such, locum doctors take up temporary positions in clinics, hospitals, or other medical practices as a result of permanent personnel being away on leave or suffering illness. A locum contract is often taken on a short-term basis, depending on how long the permanent staff member is expected to return.
Requirements Of Being A Locum Doctor?
To get work as a locum doctor in the UK and Ireland, you must be fully accredited as a medical practitioner. You must have been registered by the GMC (General Medical Council), and also attained accreditation as a practitioner or GP. Having several credentials and obviously enough experience can work to your advantage. By doing so, you will have an edge over other applicants and an opportunity to be recognised through several applications.
There are essentially two ways of finding locum jobs in the UK and Ireland; the first is getting temporary medical jobs using the NHS bank, and the second is seeking locum agencies that link doctors with jobs.
NHS Bank Recruitment
A staff bank is essentially a pool of doctors governed by an NHS Trust and onboards healthcare personnel to take locum doctor job shifts. To ascertain sufficient patient safety and quality in delivering medicare despite a diminished staff, Trust hospitals heavily depend on temporary healthcare practitioners to take the medical shifts. Due to this, there’s always the availability of NHS bank finance and accountancy jobs.
Even if bank staff qualify to get the same benefits as a permanent worker fulfilling the same roles following a 12-week qualifying duration, NHS bank staff rights and entitlements differ depending on your contract in addition to how much and where you work. Likewise, NHS bank pay rates are configured by separate Trusts. You can expect your salary at the end of the month.
There are various reasons to register with bank staff. They include:
· Flexibility: in the majority of well-organised and run Trusts, bank staff are granted precedence over agency staff, suggesting that you’ll get a higher probability to take shifts that work for you.
· Cost-effective: Operating as a bank staff will save the NHS cash because Trusts are charged by the recruitment agency to deliver a workforce.
· Familiarity: Operating with your Trust hospital will allow more consistency and offer you a chance to create meaningful connections with patients and doctors.
· Experience: you can get the chance to hone your skills in a medical field you wish to venture into.
· Simplicity: Mobile apps like Patchwork have come into the fold as a viable method of managing staff banks. Apps like these make looking for and scheduling shifts very simple.
Nevertheless, there are some instances that may make a locum agency a more attractive alternative option to look for a job. First off, from the administrative point of view, to begin as a bank worker, the process can be lengthy given how Trusts are somewhat disorganised than agencies. What sort of job roles you can take up is also constricted to what your Trust hospital has available.
Finally, you will be by yourself when it comes to having conversations with superiors and negotiating contracts and pay rates. If this isn’t a turn-off for you, you should think about enrolling in the NHS bank staff.
Locum Agencies
There are firms with a speciality in locum jobs. They work alongside several hospitals throughout the country and monitor all the existing vacancies available, determine if the shifts will be relatively difficult or manageable, in addition to which centres provide the highest pay rates. Locum agencies generally have a chosen responsible offer who will function as your first contact.
Opting to use this way to locum work cuts a considerable amount of research and time looking for vacancies on your own. The agency will handle all the compliance demands required before you begin working, including Right to Work checks, Occupational Health Clearance, and DBS checks.
Other reasons to register with a Locum job agency instead of a Staff Bank include:
-Quicker registration
-Quicker pay
-Wider Variety
-Potentially increased pay
Find Locum jobs in the UK and Ireland Today!
As you can see from the aforementioned information, locum doctors play an integral part in the medical sector and the healthcare system as a whole, helping health centres to be staffed, and enabling permanent medical practitioners to take a break to prevent burnout.
Locums have the freedom to practise their trade anywhere they want. This not only refers to the location of care but also the particular locations of care.
This includes places like pharmacies, medical practices, GP surgeries, hospitals, universities, private hospitals and other medical centres. Consider the pros and cons of both ways of finding locum jobs in the UK and Ireland before you decide which one works in your favour.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
