Running a locum chambers - all you need to know

Dr Louise Taylor co-founded Pallant Medical Chambers and works as a GP locum within the chambers. She explains about what it takes to lead a locum chamber

How do I get into the role (including necessary qualifications)?

As long as you’re a member of a locum chambers then you’re qualified.

For anyone who might not be fully aware of what a GP locum chambers is, it is loosely based on the concept of barristers’ chambers and offers administrative and professional support for general practice locums (doctors, nurses and paramedics). We set up our locum chambers because we wanted to remain part of a supportive clinical team sharing a collective intelligence while enjoying having all the admin aspects sorted on our behalf. This is especially useful for those with a portfolio career who are often balancing different work diaries and obligations.

How much does it pay?

Pay can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the chambers, but you can earn up to £250 per month for a few hours work.

How much time do I need to devote to it?

The amount of time you put into the role can vary but will tend to be a few hours per month.

Chambers work like virtual practices. For instance, our Chichester chambers have doctors, paramedics and nurses, and the lead organises meetings, interviews new members, and offers support to members when needed. Essentially they keep the team running smoothly.

What’s good about the job?

Leading a chambers enables you to work in a supportive, non-threatening environment to grow leadership skills, with the back up of other leads and the clinical team. It is a soft entry into leadership because you’re just looking after a group of your peers, so it is a really gentle opportunity in a very safe and trusting advantage of it.

We have had chamber leads who started here to then go on to take leadership roles in CCGs and ICBs. The role has also led people to extend their portfolios. People start here and think ‘I’m actually quite good at this – maybe I’ll become an appraiser, or mentor, or coach etc.’

Being part of a chambers in general is just a good way to connect with people. You can retain the independence of being a locum while still building relationships with other doctors – it isn’t so isolating.

What’s bad about the job?

It requires high-quality organisational skills. Getting doctors, nurses and paramedics together can be like herding cats! So, if you’re not keen on organising it may be worth a second thought.