Looking for a Locum /Sessional GP
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Looking for a Locum / Sessional GP
Our ‘Looking for a Locum’ section has been designed to allow locum GPs, Nurses and PMs to add their availability and for practices to easily find Locums that may be available for work.
Training Hubs
Please click on the links below for organisations providing support and advice to GP practices around the Wessex LMCs localities
Learn :: NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight
BSW Primary and Community Care Training Hub
Top Tips For Employing Locums
- Always agree on terms of engagement when booking a locum (guidance on BMA website). These should include expected duties, length of surgery, extras, visits and admin/paperwork. Pay and overtime. How much notice is required for both parties to cancel.
- Ensure the locum has proof of inclusion on the performers list, GMC and current indemnity. All locums will have had an enhanced DBS check on application to the performers list so will not need subsequent DBS checks for the purposes of booking but some locums will have transportable DBS checks available. Child protection, vulnerable adult and CPR training certificates are a performers list requirement and it is suggested that these are checked.
- Ensure you have proof of identity and an up to date employment history for the locum.
- Ensure you give new locums some time to familiarise themselves with practice systems e.g.. the computer, how to deal with results/correspondence, visiting policy. Do you have an up to date locum induction pack available?
- Find out the locums name, introduce them to staff and ensure personalised logins where needed. Appoint a key member of staff who the locum can approach easily with queries.
- Ensure that appropriate support, supervision and oversight are in place and clearly communicated.
- Show locums where the loos and coffee/tea facilities are and welcome them to the GPs/staff room for breaks.
- Encourage the locum to discuss problems or cases with GPs, nurses and other relevant staff.
- If the locum is new to your computer system they may not be able to use your QOF templates. Allow for this by for example getting the locum to list patients they have seen so that others can add the data to the system.
- Give and ask for feedback from the locum when they have finished. This could be done informally and followed up formally with a simple feedback questionnaire.
- Include locums in your SEA and complaints processes. This is good governance for both practice and locum and will help the practice with CQC and the locum with appraisal.
- Locums can struggle to get patient and colleague surveys for appraisal. If you are arranging these surveys at your practice then consider including locums that you use. Again this benefits both parties.
Refer to the CQC mythbuster on locums and ensure that the practice is compliant.
Remember that if you treat locums well you will have more chance of recruiting them into partnership or as employees.
IR35 – If you employ a locum regularly, they might be regarded as employees by HMRC.
GPC continues to be aware of concerns about the application of IR35 and interpretation of locum employment status, including some employers applying a blanket approach to all locums that they engage, without assessing individuals’ contracting arrangements. You can check the BMA published guidance on IR35 at How IR35 affects doctors (bma.org.uk).
HMRC guidance can be checked at Understanding off-payroll working (IR35) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and includes a “Check Employment Status for Tax” Tool
Pay locums promptly on receiving invoices.
Late payment will damage your reputation with locum groups and make it more difficult to get locums. Locums need prompt payment especially of pension contributions (form A) which they must submit within 10 weeks.
Provide locums with a receipt of invoice (usually now done electronically) and itemise payments separating the professional fee, pension contribution and expenses.
The following was produced by Dr Mark Selman South West Sessional GPC representative and shared with his permission.
A guide to GP locum induction and Support, with Room tour – This video explains the importance of GP locum induction and how to provide an effective induction to a locum who has not worked in your practice before. It is created with practice managers in mind.
PLEASE NOTE: Wessex LMCs cannot be seen to endorse adverts for vacancies/locum availability included on our website and the responsibility for conducting relevant checks on staff members remains with Practices.