1 – Numbers of GP locums are rising.
Following an article in Pulse magazine, a survey has shown that over 50% of GP trainees plan to become locums once they qualify. Alongside this more and more older GPs are retiring to do the same thing. With so many new locums, standing out from the crowd has never been more important.
How to combat: If you’re a newly qualified GP you’ll want to get as much experience as possible under your belt and quickly. To do this, make sure your training certificates are up to date and all of your documentation is available. Don’t be shy about making an impression and always add a smiley photo to your profile to help potential employers relate to you.
If you’re an experienced GP, use this to your advantage. Experience is one of the biggest selling points of a locum GP to a new practice manager. They will be keen to know that you will be able to handle a variety of situations. Make sure to make this clear on your CV and in your profile description.
2 – Clinical Governance is stricter.
The recent summer saw a wave of CQC inspections which has triggered increased scrutiny on clinical governance documentation. GPs with a full portfolio** of documentation are now 80% more likely to be booked for a job when up against a candidate with the basics.
How to Combat: Utilise free online courses to keep qualifications updated, take care of the certificates and make electronic copies.
The common response to this is that extra courses are time intensive and expensive. However the rise of online learning and social networks mean that it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune and often can be done from the comfort of your home. We’d recommend E-Learning for Healthcare, Webinars for GPs and Pulse Learning
There are often free CPD courses to look out for. Reach out to any groups you’re part of on social media to find out about new training opportunities.
Melissa and Wills GP Locum Group– is a friendly one to start with
Network Locum (now Lantum) Mailing list
3 –Technology has made recruitment faster.
Locum jobs can be booked on the go from anywhere with smartphones and 4G. The best jobs don’t stay vacant for long in today’s world so you’ll want to make sure you are able to snap your favourites up.
How to Combat: Be active online. Check your emails regularly for invitations from practice managers, and if you’re using the Network Locum (now Lantum) app, enable notifications so you can be first to the jobs that suit you.
In addition to this you can make use of several features on Network Locum (now Lantum) to speed up the way you book work:
- Apply on the go from email invites – When practices send you invitations to jobs, you can apply directly from the invite or instantly book (if the option is available). Make sure to maximise on what your being offered by keeping your calendar and available days up to date
Top Tip: Want to know more about a session before booking? Read the full job description in your 'My Jobs' section. All of your invites are stored there.
- Once you’ve worked at a practice they are given the option to add you to their ‘locum bank’ which means you will be able to instantly book all future jobs that they post and have priority over other candidates, make sure to look out for the ‘instant book’ options on your job search page.
- Be Gold Standard – Only a very small number of GPs reach our Gold Standard levels. Gold Standard doctors have uploaded all of their clinical governance documentation**. Gold Standard doctors are able to book jobs 2 hours ahead of other GPs and also have a badge added to their profile which lets practice managers know they’re in our top 5 % of GPs.
** Passport, Medical Indemnity cover, CCT, CV, Enhanced DBS (CRB), BLS, Adult safeguarding A&B, Child Protection Level 3 Training, Appraisal Evidence, References, Immunisation History, RCGP Substance Misuse 1 & 2
