You need a valid registration with a State Medical Council and the NMC, then you find short-term shifts directly with hospitals. There is no separate locum licence or exam.
Locum work is open to any doctor whose registration is valid. There is no separate locum licence, register or exam. If your State Medical Council registration is current, you can take a short-term engagement.
Keep your registration number and certificate ready. Hospitals and platforms check the number against the public register before you start.
Locum work comes in different shapes: night duty in casualty, weekend cover in a ward or ICU, OPD sessions in a clinic, or a few weeks covering a consultant on leave. Decide which suit your skills and your free time.
Doctors early in their career often start with night duty or general physician cover. Specialists usually take OPD, on-call or theatre-list cover in their own speciality.
Find shifts through a platform, hospital contacts or colleagues. Whichever route you use, settle the date, the hours, the rate and what happens if either side cancels before you travel.
On Rounds, hospitals post the date, hours and rate on the shift. You accept the ones you want, and the hospital pays you directly with no commission.
Registration is issued by a State Medical Council, and councils can differ on practice across state lines. If you plan to work in a state other than the one you are registered in, check the position with the council before accepting.
Every registration checked against NMC records. Zero commission, the hospital pays the doctor directly.
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