What is the current locum hourly rate?
It depends – what role are you (Pharmacist, Technician, Dispenser or other)? What area of the country do you live/work? What range of services can/do you offer? Do you believe you are the best?
We regularly keep a check on what rates are current in any location, so we can be accurate in advising what you should expect to have to pay if you own or run a pharmacy, or what you should charge if you are a locum, so that no party need to feel they are outside a sensible range for their location. We don’t publicise these to everyone, as it just leads to a bidding war and raises unrealistic expectations, which in the current funding situation, doesn’t help anybody.
We monitor rates regularly and can therefore advise accurately and fairly what is reasonable in any area of the country and monitor trends to ensure we are advising what rates are relevant to you – don’t leave it to chance and don’t risk platforms which escalate rates to attract locums – you should only pay what you can afford. If your pharmacy is well run and a pleasure to work in, locums will want to come back to you.
Pharmacy owners should know what they can afford or are willing to pay, depending on their needs. Of course, you should want the best locum you can get, who will do all you require of them to maintain and improve your business, not the worst, who might harm your business.
Some booking platforms boast how much money companies have saved by using their app, are silent about how much hourly rates have increased to book locums, usually for bigger companies, at least one of which has vanished from the market with huge debts and redundancy costs amid legal challenges. How the mighty are fallen? It’s really sad for many good people who gave their best and now feel abandoned. Will they be the last to go down this path? How many multiples are closing branches?
It doesn’t have to be this way! We can advise you what is a reasonable rate to pay in your area (if you are registered with us) – please note that we are updating parts of our website to improve ease of use and access, so please bear with us whilst this takes place. You can always ContactUs via the website to discuss your needs and concerns.
Whether your a pharmacy, pharmacy owner, G.P. practice, pharmacist, technician, dispenser, nurse or other health care professional. We do not charge locums for booking them out. We can also offer full and part-time permanent placements for those looking for something other than locum work. You don’t have to be like all the rest – in fact you should be proud of who you are and what you believe in. We do and we are. Let’s not walk this road alone.
Don’t be like the rest, be the best!