It’s increasingly becoming a locums market and as such locums are now expecting practice’s to agree to and sign terms and conditions. Terms and conditions are negotiable but here are some areas which are likely to be covered and should be looked out for. In particular locums are expecting to be paid in full if a session has been cancelled at short notice. Please ensure that when you are booking a locum you are aware of their cancellation policy.
Provisions
A locum should provide their own general equipment such as a stethoscope, otoscope, etc… but any specialised equipment should be provided by the clinic such as oxygen or a defibrillator. A portable drug pack should also be supplied which should include prescription forms, emergency drugs, syringes and so forth, although a locum most likely has a supply of these in case of emergency his or her supply is expected to be replenished by the clinic. Getting a locum up to speed should be included in the first session to ensure that they have internal and external phone numbers for referral purposes and any training they may need on the computer system if it is unfamiliar to them. A general tour around the facility is always welcome and shows the locum where to find things and who they can ask for assistance.
Rate of Pay
The rate of pay is generally based on the sessions to be worked; these can range from 3-4 hours including a break mid-session. Included in the costs when employing a locum are: mileage for house calls and or travel to the clinic if substantial, parking if not provided and any parking tickets should they be incurred, as well as any time over and above the session or booking agreement, these are in addition to the session rates. Any work with higher medio-legal risks, including repeat prescriptions and reviewing patient results will likely incur additional fees or a higher session rate.
Start and End Times
The start time of a booking is the time from which the locum is first expected to be available to the practice and the finish time is the time of completion of the booking. The number and types of sessions required should also be negotiated when employing a locum. When booking sessions consider not only consultation time but also administration duties, time to review patient files and travel time for house visits. Locum can set their start and end times very easily in BeeFound.
Cancellations
When employing a locum, cancellations are sometimes needed but be prepared to pay a cancellation fee. Most locums will have varying fees depending on the notice given for the cancellation. A flat fee may be charged or a percentage of the agreed upon fee for the booking, descending a few percentage points for longer cancellation notice.
Negotiate and Confirm
All terms and conditions should be negotiated and then confirmed by email when employing a locum. It is also the practices responsibility to ensure that the locum is fully qualified for the position before hiring them privately or through an agency. Check their CV and their references to ensure that you enjoy a mutually beneficial working relationship.
At BeeFound we have a number of GP locums with something in common – trying to get locum work. Find and book available GP Locums quickly and easily, without fuss, for free!
