Maybe your salary is not stretching far enough, or you want to see how other hospitals work before you settle down. Locum work lets doctors and dentists earn more, try different hospitals and specialities, and decide their own hours. For the clinic or hospital, a reliable locum means the shift is covered and the ward does not go short.
Here is where locum and part-time work comes from, and how to become the doctor they call first.
Key takeaways
- Most locum openings are night duty, weekend and casualty shifts.
- Agree pay, hours, handover and indemnity in writing before the shift.
- Reliability gets you rebooked. A visible profile gets you found.
Where locum shifts come from
- Duty doctor and RMO shifts in hospitals and nursing homes, mostly nights and weekends.
- Casualty and emergency cover.
- Clinic cover while a consultant is on leave.
- Specialist sessions, such as anaesthesia, radiology reporting or a weekly OPD at a smaller clinic.
- Dental clinics that need an associate dentist on set days.
What to agree before you accept
- Pay per shift or per hour, and when the money reaches you.
- Exact hours, with handover time included.
- What you are responsible for: which wards, which procedures, whether you are on call.
- Who covers professional indemnity.
- Who is on site to back you up: nurses, senior cover, and whom to call when you need to escalate.
Keep your registration and documents ready
Every hospital will ask for your medical or dental council registration in that country, your degree certificates and ID. Keep scanned copies on your phone and your registration current. Then when a clinic calls in the evening needing someone for tonight, you can say yes.
How to get booked again and again
- Arrive on time and stay for a proper handover.
- Write clear notes. The next doctor will judge you by them.
- Pick up the phone and confirm quickly.
- After a good run of shifts, ask for a short recommendation.
Let shifts find you
When a clinic needs cover, someone searches for a doctor by speciality and location. If your profile shows your registration, speciality, experience and availability, you turn up in that search, and you stop depending only on word of mouth.
Frequently asked questions
Can doctors do locum work alongside a full-time job?
Many do. Read your employment contract first, because some hospitals restrict outside work, and make sure your indemnity covers every place you work.
How do I find locum doctor jobs near me?
Hospitals and clinics post locum and part-time openings on healthcare job platforms such as Lukenote, and they also ask colleagues. If your profile shows when you are available, they can contact you directly.
Get your next shift
Find locum and part-time openings on Lukenote, and let clinics that need cover find you.
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