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Following on from our previous article 5 Advantages of Becoming a Locum GP, we’ve decided to turn it around and try taking a look at it from the perspective of the practice. What benefits do they gain from bringing in a locum GP on a short or long term contract? What do they stand to gain? Are there advantages in calling upon the services of a locum over appointing a permanent GP? MBI Medical investigates… 1. It costs less than you think! Just like in our last article, let’s get the money issue out of the way first. For cash-strapped practices it may seem like hiring a locum GP involves quite a considerable monetary outlay. Admittedly they do command a decent hourly rate but, and this is a big but, the practice doesn’t have to take into consideration holiday pay, sick pay or medical indemnity insurance and it is tax deductible. Adding it all up, it costs no more to employ a locum than a permanent GP or practice partner. 2. They’re always there when you need them. Locum GPs are available at short notice to cover absences when and where they occur; after all, not all absences are planned in advance such as annual leave or maternity leave. MBI Medical’s team of consultants are available 24/7 to ensure you are never left shorthanded. As the workload at practices increases, the use of locums has become more than just plastering over cracks; locum GPs in the UK are a vital part of the modern healthcare system. 3. They get through the caseload quicker. As mentioned in our previous article, locums are not around long enough to form friendly relationships with patients. This means they are in and out of their appointments a lot faster because there is no informal chatting about Aunt Ada’s cat etc. 4. It saves time and trouble recruiting. By taking on a locum GP from MBI Medical the practice doesn’t have to go through the pain and strain of recruitment. All of our locums are vetted, tested and interviewed at length before they are introduced to practices. Every one of them is a qualified, experienced and dedicated doctor ready at a moment’s notice to fill in where needed. 5. No long term commitment necessary. Locum GPs are, for the most part, a short term option. Patients can at times be picky over which GP they see. How many times have patients not liked a particular doctor and thus increased the workload for their colleagues? If your practice employs a GP that proves unpopular amongst the patients it can be a real problem. This is not a problem the practice needs worry about if the GP is a locum on a short term assignment. There might be other advantages that may not have occurred to us, or we haven’t considered to be part of the top 5 listed above but should be taken into consideration. All we wanted to do was highlight some that have come up in conversations with some of the great doctors we have come to work with and the excellent GP practices we enjoy partnerships with all over the UK. If you can think of anymore that should be added to the list then we’d love to hear from you. In fact, if you represent a medical practice in the UK we’d love to hear from you anyway. If you need the assistance of the highest calibre of locum GPs then please don’t hesitate to contact MBI Medical today.
Friday Jan 20, 2017
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