Locum use increased again from last year, survey suggest
With ever increasing workload in primary care, GP practices are employing more locums than ever before. On average, GP locum usage has increased by 19.6%, data from a locum website has revealed.
Online locum website RLocums.com, released figures from its 5,500Âstrong membership, finding that practices booked an average of 110 hours of locum work on the website in 2014/15 compared with 92 hours in 2013/14.
The company has found that despite a minor increase of 1.6% compared to 2014, average GP locum rates across the UK has remained broadly the same at ÂŁ83.69/hr.
More GPs are choosing to supplement their salaried/partnership income with locum work. RLocums data reveal that on average GPs earn ÂŁ7,600 per year doing additional locum work, an increase of ÂŁ1,900 (33%) compared to last year.
The siteâs founder Dr Steve Leung, a GP in Brighton, says:
âThis has been a tough year for General Practice. Increased workload has prompted more GPs to retire early or resign from their salaried/partnership post. Some GPs are even thinking about emigration. This has contributed to a higher demand for locum GPs. On top of this, new GP graduates are preferring to locum due to the attractive pay, quality of life and reduced paperwork responsibilities.
âThis year, we have also seen an increase in the number of career locums  these are GPs who in the past may have aspired to become partners or have the stability of salaried positions  now preferring to work fullÂtime on a freelance basis. This may be because it is now easier to fill your calendar with sites like RLocums, so finding enough locum work to give a stable income is no longer a concern. Moreover, I think people genuinely enjoy the freedom and flexibility that being a locum brings.â
RLocums has surveyed GPs on the ground and found that the below quotes reflective of the general sentiment of the current locum market:
âItâs never been a better time to be a sessional or locum GP.â
âHard work as a partner, finding it hard to replace a partner... Long hours, tons of work and less money.â
 GP Partner from Manchester
âI resigned my partnership due to excessive workload, 16Â17 hour days. I am now a partÂtime locum and easily find enough work...â
 ExÂPartner in Devon who is now a GP locum
RLocums is an independent website that allows surgeries and locums to book each other. Availabilities and rates are agreed directly between surgeries and GP locums. Data is therefore reflective of market trends and excludes any artificial inflation by middleman such as locum agencies.
