What does locum stand for
Sophia Edwards
Published Feb 23, 2026
The word locum comes from the Latin phrase locum tenens, which means “place holder”. A locum is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another. A locum doctor is therefore a doctor who covers for another doctor who is on leave.
What does locum mean in healthcare?
A locum, or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy.
What is locum staffing?
Locum tenens, which is Latin for “one holding a place,” refers to a healthcare provider who is working temporarily in the place of another provider when he or she is absent, or when a hospital or practice is short staffed.
How long can a locum work?
It varies from assignment to assignment, but most locum assignments last between two weeks and two months, depending upon the situation and need. Physicians select the assignment length that suits their interests. In some cases, locum tenens physicians receive permanent offers from their assigned facility.Why do locums get paid more?
Locum A&E doctors are in particular demand. This means that A&E locum doctors tend to get paid more per hour than the average ward based job. This is something worth considering if making money is a real priority for you. In addition to being paid more per hour, you will also receive a more regular paycheck.
Where do locum doctors come from?
Locum vacancies arise either due to absences among a facility’s core medical staff, or because a particular clinic or surgery has a pressing need to fill posts (typically on an ongoing basis) for which permanent funding has yet to be agreed.
Why do doctors locum?
Locum work is flexible and interesting. It gives the doctor the chance to see many aspects of medicine without the requirement of a long term commitment early in a career. With the ever increasing demands for a better quality of life, part time work in an unstructured or semi structured form is possible.
How do you become a locum?
What are the Requirements of Being a Locum Doctor? You will still need to be a fully qualified doctor even to do locum work. You must have a full registration with the General Medical Council and be registered as a practitioner or GP. This is exactly the same for permanent positions.How do locum doctors work?
Usually locum doctors take advantage of the opportunity to work part time and schedule their own shifts accordingly. Broadly speaking, locums are normal doctors who have more flexibility over their working hours and salary. … They use the locum job as a source of earning some extra money on the weekends, for instance.
Are locums employees?Ordinarily locums are classed as self-employed, meaning that they will be responsible for paying their own tax and national insurance (NI) contributions and keeping their accounts in order and up-to-date. … The HMRC website also has specific advice for locum pharmacists.
Article first time published onHow do you bill locum?
Billing for Locum Tenens Locum tenens physicians may not bill Medicare; they should be paid on a per diem or similar fee-for-time basis. Claims payment is made under the name and billing number of the physician or the practice (in the event the physician has left the practice) that hired the locum tenens physician.
What is the difference between locum and per diem?
Locum tenens positions are a substitute or temporary role for clinicians, typically in a full-time capacity. Per diem is basically locum tenens without a set schedule. Based on schedules and availability, clinicians working per-diem can decide to pick up any open shifts.
What is a locum tenens in medicine?
Locum tenens is Latin for placeholder. A locum tenens physician takes the place of a provider when they are absent — a substitute. … Each year, this industry continues to grow as more and more physicians and advanced practice providers choose to practice medicine as locum tenens.
What is locum hospitalist?
The phrase “locum tenens” is Latin and translates to “placeholder.” It can refer to anyone who temporarily fulfills the duties of another person. In the medical world, it refers to staffers who work for a healthcare organization for a defined period of time.
Is locum pay taxed?
Many locum doctors work via agencies and the NHS, which handle their pay and taxes in a similar way to a direct employer, in that they are taxed at source under normal PAYE rules. This is straightforward, without the need for an accountant.
What does locum SHO earn?
Pan-London rates are agreed rates which hospitals within Greater London (roughly the M25 boundary) have agreed to pay locum doctors. This applies to locum work both through Staff Banks and agencies alike. 👉 SHO: Rates here are £36 per hour for core hours and £42 for non-core hours.
What does locum mean in British?
locum in British English (ˈləʊkəm) noun. British. a person who stands in temporarily for another member of the same profession, esp for a physician, chemist, or member of the clergy.
Are locum doctors any good?
There were no significant differences in 30-day mortality rates between patients treated by locums compared to permanent doctors; however, cost of care and length of stay were significantly higher when patients were treated by locums.
Do locum doctors get paid more?
Though rates can vary, locum tenens providers generally earn a higher hourly rate than their full-time counterparts. According to data from a CHG Healthcare study, on average across all specialties, physicians who work locum tenens full-time make $32.45 per hour more than permanent-only doctors.
Can junior doctors do locum work?
Provisionally registered doctors are permitted to take up locum appointment for training posts but only if they have the approval of their medical school, the post meets the GMC standards for a normal foundation year 1 job with respect to supervision and training, and the post leads to a certificate of experience, it …
Are locums contractors?
A locum doctor is someone who is temporarily placed to fill a vacant position in a hospital or practice, so they are essentially a self-employed contractor.
How long can you be a locum consultant?
Locum surgeons should be appointed for no more than 6 months initially with the possibility of a 6 month extension, leading to a maximum appointment term of 12 months. NHS Executive guidance2 advises that consultant locum appointments be made for no longer than six months.
What does locum mean in law?
In its basic form, the term locum means a person who stands in the place of another. However, the term is not used universally. From a legal perspective, it can be used to describe various atypical working relationships.
How long can you bill locum tenens?
The regular physician cannot bill for the services of a locum tenens physician for a continuous period of longer than 60 calendar days.
What is the difference between locum tenens and reciprocal billing?
Locum tenens occurs when the substitute physician covers for the regular physician during absences not to exceed a period of 90 continuous days. Reciprocal billing occurs when substitute physicians cover the regular physicians during absences and/or on an on-call basis not to exceed a period of 14 continuous days.
Can a physician supervise another physician?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has verified that a physician can bill for incident-to services rendered by another physician as long as all incident-to criteria is met.
What expenses can a locum claim?
- motor expenses.
- use of home as an office.
- mobile telephone.
- home internet and computer expenses.
- professional subscriptions such as indemnity.
- courses and conferences.
- books and medical equipment.
How much do locums recruiters make?
Annual SalaryHourly WageTop Earners$364,000$17575th Percentile$245,000$118Average$195,207$9425th Percentile$139,500$67
How much do locum tenens nurse practitioners make?
The pay rate for locums NPs and PAs can vary, but is often higher than the pay you would make in a similar permanent full-time position — it ranges from $60 to $125 per hour on average. Some subspecialties pay more. For example, a locums NP or PA working in cardiac surgery can make up to $1,000 during an 8-hour shift.
Who can be a locum tenens?
Locum tenens (Latin for “holding the place”) refers to a physician, physician assistant (PA), or nurse practitioner (NP) who temporarily substitutes for another healthcare worker. Locum tenens assignments can be for as little as one shift or extend for many months.
Why is locum tenens?
Locum tenens lets you test drive a position with the potential for permanent placement, check out a new area before making a big move, and gain worthwhile experience in a new subspecialty area.