There is scope for substantive work as well as locum work for doctors in the UK health industry. This may be at National Health System (NHS) hospitals or in private practice. It is best to find a good locum agency as they can juggle your locum work.

As with other medical professions in the UK, there is a controlling statutory body. In this case it is the General Medical Council :

General Medical Council
178 Great Portland Street
London
W1N 6AE
Phone no : (0)207 580 7642
Fax : (0)207 915 3641

You have to register with them if you wish to practice as a doctor in the UK. At present their register contains about 190,000 names and there is another register containing specialists.

Doctors are eligible for full registration if they qualify at :

• a UK medical school
• a medical school in the European Economic Area (EEA) and are EEA nationals.

Doctors who qualify at certain other schools from regions not included above are eligible to apply for full registration.

In South Africa these are the following:

• Pretoria University - MB Chb
• University of the Orange Free State - MB Chb
• University of Cape Town - MB Chb
• University of Natal - MB Chb
• Stellenbosch University - MB Chb
• University of the Witwatersrand - Mb Bch

Doctors who do not qualify at any of the above institutions may apply for limited registration which entitles them to practice under supervision in approved training posts. In South Africa these are the following:

• Medunsa - MB Chb
• University of Transkei - MB Chb

To achieve this limited registration doctors may be required to pass a few tests including an English language test. Please consult the General Medical Council for further details.

Also, you will need a police clearance certificate if you are to work with children.

Positions available
A whole array of work on offer including these positions:

• House officer, house surgeon, house physician or houseman qualified less than 1 year
• Senior house officer - qualified at least 1 year
• RMO or RSO - found in private hospitals usually at registrar level. Attends to patients on a routine day to day basis and calls specialists if necessary.
• Registrar - Middle grade doctor. Makes day to day uncomplicated decisions about the patients.
• Staff grade - Middle grade doctor. Usually works a 40 hour week with no On Calls
• Specialist registrar - Specialist in chosen field
• Clinical assistant - Deputy to the consultant

Working hours

Locum work can include long shifts on standby in hospitals and you could work anywhere from 20 - 100 hours per week.

Pay

Locum posts usually pay at about £ 14 - £ 20 per hour, depending on the level. A number of hospital locum posts come with free or heavily subsidised accommodation.

For help in finding a job in this area contact the following