GP locums in Devon and Cornwall are working at higher daily rates than London locums, Management in Practice reports.
GP locums are charging £800-£900 a day in the South West, while daily rates in Greater London run to just £600-£700 – among the lowest in the country.
A survey of locum rates from Northumberland to Kent reported a national average of around £727.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “It’s good to see some evidence for the wide variation in what practices are charged for GP locum cover. Earlier this year we were hearing that agencies were offering locums £1000 a day, which would likely cost practices even more, whereas this survey suggests GP locums charge much less on average.
“However, the report doesn’t clarify whether these rates are being paid via an agency, who can take between 15% and 30% of the practice’s fee, or if they’re being paid direct to the locum, as is the case with LocumDeck locums.
“We would also caution directly comparing salaried GP pay to a practice’s locum costs, the latter of which, as well as possibly incurring agency fees, also does not include holiday, sick or maternity pay or other benefits of employed work.
“At NASGP we prefer complete transparency. On LocumDeck, we never charge practices, and the GP locum receives the full amount paid by the practice.”
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