Wide disparity in locum rates across England

There is a wide disparity in locum pay rates across England, with average day rates varying from £600 to as much as £900.

Statistics supplied to Pulse Intelligence showed that out of the country’s 48 counties, average locum day rates are highest in Devon and Cornwall, where doctors are commanding rates of between £800 and £900.

This exceeds pay in the capital where average daily rates in both Greater London and the City of London are £600 to £700, which are among the lowest in the country.

Since these are only regional averages, it means some locums will be on higher rates than shown and some lower.

Taking all these figures into account, the national average is around £727 and median pay is £725.*

The data is presented on our interactive map below so you can see the spread of pay rates and how much locum remuneration is in your local area.

Increasing locum costs are placing extra pressure on already tight budgets affected by rising expenses and inflation, says GP partner and PCN co-clinical director in South Yorkshire Dr David Coleman in his guide written for Pulse Intelligence, How to make the most of a locum budget.

‘Contrary to popular belief, evidence suggests that use of locum GPs has remained stable over the last few years and is most prevalent in rural and deprived areas, which as Pulse Intelligence data highlights, is often where the highest rates are found.’

He adds: ‘Finding permanent staff is a challenge and financial uncertainty is a potential barrier. Locum doctors provide a tempting short-term solution, but those fees can start to spiral fairly quickly. It is important to define a clear budget.’

It comes as Pulse revealed in July that ‘desperate’ GP practices were offering locums day rates in excess of £1,000 among workforce shortages.

Read Dr Coleman’s full guide here.

And click here for an interactive map of locum rates across England.

*To calculate the average and median, midpoint figures were used where appropriate.