Getting ready to locum

So you've finished your CSA. You're coming to the end of your Registrar year. Suddenly, you panic because once you finish, you'll no longer have back up from your trainer and you won't have a regular salary. You'll be SELF EMPLOYED, and you don't even know what that means!

These are some things I think you'll need to do to get ready for locuming:

1. Get used to 10 minute appointments
2. Find out where to advertise your services in advance so that you have work lined up for when you finish otherwise you won't be able to pay your mortgage! You can usually advertise for free on the local 'purple pages' of your LMC (local medical committee). You can also drop by to practices you're interested in and drop in your CV and speak to the practice manager.
3. Find out where the locum / sessional GP group meetings are - there is usually something going on locally with organised meetings monthly or speak to an experienced GP locum
4. Speak to the Out of Hours providers to see what you documents you will need to provide before starting
5. Understand that there are a few different clinical systems out there and that you may take time to get used to them or only accept work in practices with systems you are familiar with
6. Discuss billing (I will do a section on this or see www.gplocumweb.co.uk) - my feeling is that you should bill for your time. After all, if its 2 hours or 4 hours, its still your whole morning or afternoon working so you have lost half your day - bill for half the day. This is transparent and clear. Don't add transport - it is annoying - work it into your bill - if its a practice far away, bill them more. 
7. Register with inland revenue as self-employed (you have 3 months), speak to  your trainer about what you can claim as self-employed, and keep records. Get an accountant. Your home will be your base, so transport can be claimed back from inland revenue as a business expense. 
8. Once you start, have the numbers and addresses of the practice you are working at, the local hospital, and understand how that practice works - as a bare minimum, familiarise yourself with the computer system, how to refer to radiology and physiotherapy, dictate / write letters, and the location of the toilet. Do some online research before you start, but often you'll just have to try different practices to see if you like working there.