For Practice Managers
This page was updated December 2016
A step by step guide to Locum Induction - with a room tour
by Dr Paula Wright
Checks the practice may wish to carry out when hiring a locum:
1. GMC
2. GP qualification (e.g. PMETB, JCPTGP or equivalent)
3. medical indemnity
4. references
5. competence/training for the job (e.g. clinical computer system )
6. HEPATITIS B status
7. DISCLOSING AND DISBARRING SERVICE CHECK
How to contact available locums
Visit the "ADD VACANCY" page and complete the online form. This sends an email out to nearly 200 Gps who are NESG members and who are signed up to receive these adverts.
Your advert is initially scrutinised by one of the NESG volunteers before it is activated to go live (this is to ensure it is a 'real' advert and also to ensure nil offensive on it etc ). Once live the website generates a "spray" of emails to all members and also leaves a vacancy on the relevant webpage. This vacancy is deleted automatically once the "expiry date" on the form is reached. This is a free, automated service and we cannot offer to alter adverts once posted or remove them ahead of the expiry date so please choose your expiry date carefully. A fee of £30 is required, paid in advance, if you request to alter adverts once posted. However, we cannot guarantee that an amendment would be possible as this would be dependant on what was being requested. Should you wish to make an amendment please contact the treasurer for further discussion.
Good Practice When Hiring a Locum
Good Practice When Hiring a Locum
Working as a locum can be very challenging due to lack of familiarity with practice procedures, the patients, referral pathways, local geography, clinical computer systems and so on. Locums will offer the best patient care where adequately supported by the practice. Here are some pointers on how to support your locum:
1. Provide a comprehensive induction file/folder ( see our recommended one) and access to and up to date telephone directory with relevant internal and external numbers
2. Provide a personal login to the clinical system INCLUDING access to the ICE lab request system
3. Ensure staff aware of agreed terms of booking (workload)
4. Check with the locum first before allocating them work over and above this agreement (they may be unable to extend their session beyond the agreed length due to prior commitments )
5. Have a dedicated member of staff to meet the locum, show them their room, location of emergency drugs and equipment (incl. defibrillator), fire exits, toilets and coffee room.
6. Ensure rooms are adequately stocked, tidy and ready to use.
7. Prompt payment of fees on the same day or at the latest the last worked day of each week
8. Prompt signature of pension forms
9. Pass on information regarding educational events which they can attend in the practice or in the locality
Locum induction Example document
Things GP's may wish to know about a salaried vacancy
Questions an applicant may wish to know about a salaried vacancy
1) Workload and Admin support for clinicians
a) What is the routine workload?
b) How do on call arrangements operate? Are they pro-rata? How many clinical sessions are there in the practice? E.g. if 40 sessions then a Dr Working 4 sessions would not expect to do more than 1:10 on call. On average over the year.
c) Are notes summarised and what systems are in place to update coded summaries when correspondence arrives (do staff add to summaries on records or doctors?)
d) How is post distributed?
e) Do doctors or staff do Choose and Book?
f) Do doctors have to do medical reports or do admin compile these?
2) Employment terms, attitude to salaried versus partner, attitude to part-timers
a) Use the model salaried contract including CPD? (this is now a requirement by PMS practices as well as GMS practices)
b) Is the post a temporary post or permanent post?
c) Is there a probationary period or fixed term to be renewed? IF so why?
d) Has the practice supported the development of special interests within or outside the practice?
e) What the practice attitude towards working in excess of contracted hours? Is there an assumption that a salaried Dr will work the same workload and length of day as a partner?
f) Will the salaried doctor be in a set room? Will the Dr have to move premises?
g) Are salaries reviewed and uplifted annually to reflect DDRB and experience/seniority
h) Does the practice fund any courses for the doctor?
3) Work life balance
a) Do GPs all do surgeries at the same time or is there some flexibility for surgery start times?
b) How are holiday arrangements organised? Are there lots of doctors with school aged kids and how is this managed, is it perceived to be fair?
c) How does the practice accommodate school events (Christmas plays, parent’s evenings etc.?)
4) Retention record
a) How did the vacancies arise/ what’s the turnover? Why did they leave?
5) Culture
a) How many clinical sessions are provided by each of the partners? What special interests do the
b) Partners have within the practice?
c) Does the practice have any teaching or training role? What is the experience (or year of qualifying) of the partners (age spread)?
d) What is the nature and length of practice meetings which the salaried doctor would be attending?
e) Do doctors meet daily for coffee?
f) Is there in house education ?
g) Have there been any innovations successfully introduced to help manage workload ?
h) How is change managed ?
Induction pack for Locums & new doctors (blank template document)
This updated (2018) template document was produced by Dr Paula Wright, who has generously shared it with NESG.
Practice managers may wish to use this in their locum/new doctor pack and as part of the induction process.
Sessional GPs may wish to use it as a checklist prior to working at a new location.
Induction pack for Locums & new doctors (blank template document)