Life As A Locum

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Life As A Locum

• Dr Ajay Sharma

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Why Locum?

• Explore different practices and areas
• Gain skills and experience while finding the
  perfect job/prefect practice
• Flexibility
• Income source if nothing sorted before completion

3
Preparation for locum work

• Start organising well before completion of
  training
• Look out for emails/flyers for locum work
• Documents before starting work
• CCT
• GP Register inclusion
• PCT Performers list inclusion
• MDU/MPS subscription
• CV focused on locuming

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Preparation for locum work

• Get Equipped
• Doctor Bag
• Mileage log book
• Smartphone/PDA/Diary
• Sat nav /A to Z
• Business card
• Financial stuff
• Self Employed / Limited company
• Accountant services
• Income Protection
• Bank Account/Cheque book/Pay in slips
• Pension forms/paying into NHS pension

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CV

• Keep it short
• Essential information
• GMC Number
• PCT Performers list inclusion
• Contact details
• Clinical systems used
• Other information like CHS/DFFP/Minor surgery etc
• Referees

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Finding Work

• Emails
• VTS Coordinator
• Practice manager
• Colleagues
• BMJ careers / GP magazine
• Locum Agencies
• Send CV with cover letter to practices in target
  area
• Networking
• Pennine YPG meeting
• ? Website for locums
• Be available on phone/email easily

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Booking work

• Establish details of work
• Date/timings/length of session/consultation
  times/no of patients
• Clinical system used
• Visits/Admin work/On call
• Rates
• Get confirmation in writing and acknowledge
  booking it
• Book work in diary/calendar immediately

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Locum Rates

• Talk to Practice manager/Trainer/Other locums to
  know local rates
• Establish your rate
• Hourly rate
• Sessional rate
• Day rate
• Extra work visits/on call/admin etc
• Negotiation skills
• Never post rates on public forums
  (anticompetitive)

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Tips for day of work

• Locum Pack
• Common stuff like
• Med3, Med5
• Investigation forms
• Letter heads
• Dictaphone/tapes
• Computer / clinical system login details
• Few phone numbers
• Reception
• Admin
• Practice manager
• Patient/Staff toilets
• Tea/Coffee room
• Fire alarms/exits
• Panic alarms/button

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Getting Paid

• Invoicing
• Last working week
• Computerised
• Clear details of the sessions/ work done, amount
  to be paid, bank account details
• BACS/Cheque payments
• Softwares like pennyperfect/Office
  accounting/Sage accounting
• Pension forms
• GP Locum A form

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Management

• Set time aside for managing your locum practice
• Invoicing
• Collate GP Locum A forms
• Complete GP locum form B
• Pension contribution
• Keep all documentation organised for tax and
  pension purpose

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Paying Taxes

• Gross payments
• Set aside 35-40 for tax purposes
• Pay NI contributions by direct debit
• Record of all business expenses (original
  receipts)
• Keep Mileage logs
• Accountant

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CPD/Revalidation

• NHS Appraisals Toolkit
• Reflective log of educational events/courses/meeti
  ngs
• Significant events/Audits/complaints
• Appraisal
• Book courses/education events in your calendar to
  avoid clashing with session bookings

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Holidays

• Block days in Diary/calendar well in advance
• Essential to destress yourselves

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Pitfalls of Locuming

• Isolation
• Appraisal difficulties
• Patient feedback
• Peer reviews
• Audits
• Prescribing data
• PCT communication
• No Sickness/maternity benefits

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Useful Links

• Register as Self Employed
• http//www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/iwtregister-as
  -self-employed.htm
• NHS Pensions GP Locums
• http//www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Pensions/2665.aspx
• National Association of Sessional GPs
• http//www.nasgp.org.uk/

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Thankyou.