Locum FAQs

 

Here are a few of the questions we receive from prospective locums.
What hospitals will I have access to?
Our locums have access to shifts at over 500 hospitals and other health-related facilities throughout Australia.

 


Is there much work available?
We offer over 3,000 shifts on any one day, so the chances are good that you’ll find a shift that suits your needs.

 


How much will I be paid?
Hourly rates are quoted with the shift notification. Rates for shifts range from $80 to $200/hour, while consultants earn either $200- $250/ hour or a daily retainer.
The rate you receive depends on:
  • The doctor’s experience
  • The doctor’s speciality
  • The urgency to fill the shift

The higher rates are usually attached to crisis shifts, where candidates are notified by SMS or phone.

 


How much does it cost to register?
Registration and our services are free.

 


Am I locked into an agreement?
Absolutely not, Auswide Locums does not require you to sign a permanent contract. Once you join, you’re free to apply for shifts that interest you. And you can discontinue using our agency at any time.

 


What paperwork will I have to handle?

None. Once you join, we operate as your personal administrative assistant by submitting your invoices to the hospitals on your behalf, issuing shift confirmations to both you and the hospital and providing an annual activity summary for you to submit with your taxes. We also follow up on any late payments on your behalf.

 


How often is your list of available shifts updated?

You can access our real-time listing of available shifts on our website at any time by using your personal access code. We also email a list of available shifts to our locums every evening, and we e-mail or SMS urgent shifts to locums, as well as any shifts that are well-matched to a given doctor’s qualifications and/or locum objectives.

 


How much notice will I receive?

Shifts are posted real-time on our website and emailed to registered locums every evening. These shifts can start anytime from the following day to six months later.

 


Will I be the only doctor in the hospital?

That depends on the hospital’s size. But we’ll inform you if you’ll be the only doctor when we contact you, so that you can decide whether to take the shift.

 


Will I be under pressure to fill unpopular shifts?

Absolutely not. Only accept the shifts you want.

 


Are the positions offered temporary or permanent?

All shifts are temporary, ranging from a single shift to three months’ work or more.

 


Who should apply for locum positions?

Doctors who are well-suited for locum work are ready to become either a full-time locum or accept part-time work. They want to earn extra money, are currently between jobs or taking a break from training, or have retired from full-time employment. All locums must have full general or specialist Australian registration.

For doctors on a working holiday in Australia, Austwide Locums can arrange travel expenses and accommodation. Please contact us for more details.

 


Can I get help with my CV?

While we don’t provide CV service, we do provide tips and will assist where we can.

 


How confidential is my information?

Keeping your information confidential is of the utmost importance to us. We will only use your information to contact your nominated referees once during registration and to follow up on your Criminal Record and Working with Children checks. Also, we only forward your CV to a hospital for the shifts you have selected after we obtain your permission to do so.

 


Is superannuation included in my pay rates?
Good question! - It is dependent on where your placement is.

For NSW public hospitals only, pay rates are currently exclusive of superannuation, which means your super contributions are paid to you on top of quotes pay rates by the Hospital directly to your nominated super account.

Where you are paid via ABN, quoted pay rates are normally inclusive of superannuation unless explicitly stated otherwise. This includes Private Hospitals in NSW, and public hospitals in any state outside of NSW, such as QLD, VIC, ACT, WA, NT and as well as Medical Centres as GP. This means for these facilities you must pay your super contribution yourself from a portion of the hourly rate pay you receive, to your nominated superfund, or if applicable where our agency reimburses your invoice to you directly on behalf of hospital , we can pay your super on your behalf by deducting that amount from your hourly rate payment/your total invoice amount.