Why Hospitals Across Australia Depend on Locum Doctors

Australia's healthcare system relies on a combination of permanent healthcare staff and locum doctors to maintain reliable patient care. While hospitals continue to recruit permanent doctors, locum doctors provide an important flexible workforce when hospitals experience staff shortages, unexpected vacancies, leave requirements or increased demand.

This is particularly important in regional, rural and remote Australia, where attracting and retaining permanent doctors can be more challenging. Government workforce programs specifically recognise the role of locum doctors in helping rural and regional services maintain staffing levels. 

1. Filling Unexpected Staff Shortages

One of the biggest reasons hospitals use locum doctors is to fill gaps when permanent doctors are unavailable.

A doctor may take annual leave, sick leave, parental leave or professional development leave. Hospitals still need appropriately qualified staff to maintain their services during these periods.

Locum doctors provide a practical way to cover these temporary gaps without leaving departments understaffed.

2. Supporting Regional and Rural Hospitals

The need for locum doctors is particularly significant outside Australia's major metropolitan areas.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that very remote areas had 2.7 full-time equivalent medical practitioners per 1,000 people in 2024, compared with 4.8 per 1,000 in major cities. 

For some regional and remote hospitals, recruiting a permanent doctor can take considerable time. Locum doctors can help maintain services while hospitals continue searching for permanent staff.

This allows patients to access medical care closer to home rather than travelling long distances for treatment.

3. Managing Hard-to-Fill Positions

Some medical specialties and locations can be particularly difficult to staff.

Hospitals may need doctors with specific clinical experience, but finding a permanent candidate who is immediately available is not always possible.

Locum recruitment gives hospitals access to a broader pool of qualified doctors who are willing to work in different locations and clinical environments.

4. Responding to Changes in Patient Demand

Hospital demand can change throughout the year.

Seasonal illness, unexpected increases in patient numbers, service expansions and other circumstances can place additional pressure on medical teams.

Locum doctors give hospitals greater flexibility to increase staffing when additional medical support is required.

Rather than permanently increasing the workforce for a temporary change in demand, hospitals can use locum doctors to provide additional capacity when needed.

5. Providing Continuity of Essential Services

When there are not enough permanent doctors available, hospitals still need to keep essential services operating.

This is one reason the Australian Government supports programs designed to recruit locums for rural communities. The Rural Locum Assistance Program, for example, helps rural professionals take leave while ensuring organisations can backfill their positions. 

Locum doctors therefore play an important role in maintaining access to healthcare, particularly in areas where workforce shortages are more pronounced.

6. Giving Hospitals Greater Workforce Flexibility

Healthcare workforce requirements can change quickly.

A hospital might need additional doctors for a particular department today but have different staffing requirements several months later. Locum arrangements allow hospitals to respond to these changes more flexibly.

NSW Health has described locums and other contingent workers as an important part of maintaining an agile workforce that can scale up and down when required. 

7. Helping Cover Rural and Remote Communities

For doctors, locum work can provide opportunities to work in locations they may not otherwise experience. For hospitals, it provides access to qualified professionals who are willing to travel for temporary assignments.

Regional and remote communities can benefit when visiting doctors help maintain services during periods of workforce shortage.

Recent workforce discussions continue to highlight recruitment and retention as major challenges for rural and regional healthcare services. 

8. Supporting Doctors Taking Leave

Permanent doctors need time away from work for holidays, family commitments, professional development and other reasons.

Without suitable replacement staff, remaining doctors may face additional workload and pressure.

Locum doctors can step into these temporary vacancies, allowing permanent staff to take planned leave while helping the hospital maintain appropriate medical coverage.

9. Locum Doctors Also Benefit

The relationship is not one-sided. Locum work can provide doctors with greater flexibility and professional variety.

Depending on their circumstances, doctors may use locum work to:

• Choose when and where they work

• Explore different hospitals and regions

• Gain experience in different clinical environments

• Take breaks between permanent positions

• Supplement their existing income

• Experience regional and rural medicine

• Create a more flexible working lifestyle

For doctors considering rural and remote work, locum placements can also provide an opportunity to experience a location before deciding whether to pursue a longer-term position.

The Role of Medical Recruitment Agencies

Healthcare recruitment agencies can make the process easier by connecting hospitals with doctors who meet their requirements.

Austwide Locums is a national doctor recruitment agency that specialises in the recruitment and placement of locum doctors and other healthcare professionals across Australia. It works with private and public hospitals, clinics, aged care facilities and other healthcare organisations. 

For hospitals, working with an experienced recruitment agency can provide access to a wider pool of qualified doctors. For doctors, agencies can help identify suitable opportunities based on qualifications, experience, location and availability.

A Flexible Part of Australia's Healthcare Workforce

Locum doctors are not necessarily a replacement for permanent healthcare staff. Instead, they provide flexibility that hospitals can use when permanent workforce capacity is temporarily unavailable or difficult to secure.

From covering planned leave to supporting regional hospitals and responding to changing demand, locum doctors help healthcare organisations maintain access to medical services.

As Australia continues to address medical workforce distribution and recruitment challenges, particularly in rural and remote areas, locum doctors are likely to remain an important part of the country's healthcare workforce.