By Shaun Hockey
We are still looking for one more locum to start at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway. We are offering experienced hospital pharmacists £30 plus free accommodation for the duration of your stay. We already have one locum there who really loves it there.

Long days, short nights, countryside and coastline that’s second to none and a really lovely department with fantastic staff.

Call Shaun on 0800 8818844 during office hours or 07971187921 in the evening of weekends

By Shaun Hockey
Good news on the NHS front. We have successfully completed the first round in our quest to join the Framework agreement to supply Allied Health Staff and Health Science Services to the NHS. We have our initial audit on Monday so if anyone knows what their likely to look at please let me know because we haven’t been given any guidance.

by Shaun Hockey

The end of June will see a the annual influx of eager newly qualified pharmacists onto the RPSGB register. At PL-UK we are keen to get as many of them as possible to join us so we can get as many of them as possible good quality, highly paid positions to start paying off those student debts.

Locums

We are particularly keen to hear from pre-reg’s who are looking to locums across the North of England. We will really look after them as we know, just like when you pass you driving test, you only really start to learn when the “L” plates come off. We ease them into well supported pharmacies to enable them to build their confidence until they get to a point where they tell us that they are confident to try something a bit busier. At PL-UK we never push locums in to anything. From day one, many locums in the North East in particular will earn from £25 upwards.

Pre-reg’s looking for a permanent position

What we recommend for pre-reg’s who are looking for a new permanent  position but haven’t secured one yet is to locum first. The reasoning behind this is that your CV looks much more attractive to potential employers if it has on it that you have worked for Alliance Boots, Tesco’s , LLOYDS ETC. It shows experience and confidence in your ability. As I mentioned  in my previous blog, don’t go direct to the companies use an agency, you’ll secure a significantly better salary.

I’ve found some very interesting research of the effects of the new contract for community pharmacy and the way it has affected community pharmacists. Interesting reading:

the_effect_of_the_new_community_pharmacy_contract_on_the_community_pharmacy_workforce

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the findings of the reasearch?

Shaun

by Shaun Hockey

Locuming doesn’t tend to be a lifelong career decision. Many pharmacists locum to bring in extra money or work every hour God sends to pay off student loans. Some pharmacists just get sick of management responsibilities and locum in-between jobs.

One thing I would advise against if you decide to apply for a new position is going direct to a potential employer. When you think about it, you are putting yourself in a very weak position because in affect, you are going cap-in-hand asking for a new job. The chances of you obtaining unbiased advice is nil as the job of the people you will speak to are paid to recruit pharmacists as cheaply as possible.

Using an agency makes much more sense. Pharmfinders, Sterling Cross and PL-UK will all help you to find you your new job and the advantage they have is that pharmacy operators go to them to find new staff putting the locum in a much stronger position. Offers of £3-5,000 more than normal offers when candidates go direct are common.

PL-UK Pharmfinders Sterling Cross

by Shaun Hockey
Why do locum pharmacists ask for £25+2? There seems to have been a glass ceiling at £25 per hour since the fallow year of 2000. I’m not sure why locums started to add travel time instead of increasing the rate to £30, £35 or above, but I believe that as locums, we have shop ourselves in the foot.

Human nature means that people don’t like paying for a service they don’t receive e.g. travel time. After all would you pay a plumber 2 hours extra pay because they had travelled 50 miles to get to your house? Of course you wouldn’t. They don’t mind paying a premium for a service and we have found pharmacies wil pay £30 or even £35 per hour for a good locum. However bring up the subject of travel time and the shackles come up on the back of pharmacy owners and area coordinators necks.

I’ d like to hear other locums views on this subject.

Happy locuming!

by Shaun

I’ve finally got issue 4 of the locum newsletter out today. I never failed to be amazed by how quickly locums read it. I checked 20 minutes after it was sent and already 52 locums had read it – and they tell me they are so busy at work they don’t get time even for a coffee break!!

by Shaun Hockey
Part of me is jealous part of me is frustrated by the BMA. The Doctors Trade Union seems to complain about every single change to the NHS .  Today’s it’s a petition signed by (probably) 1 million “worried” patients who no doubt have been told that their surgery will close if a Polyclinic opens within 200 miles of them.

As a pharmacist we have to deal with Doctor lead PCT’s who constantly overlook pharmacy (and every other profession for that matter) to give their mates even more money to spend , I have to also admit a degree of jealousy – why can’t we have a body that looks after us? After all, aren’t we much better placed to have a positive influence on health, especially in promoting the preventative aspects of good health? After all, when was the last time you visited your doctors surgery to read the leaflets and posters when you were well? Never I would guess.

Shaun

by Ethan Richardson
“This is one of the best kept secrets in the world of pharmacy locuming. The Western Isles hospital offers a unique opportunity to provide an unprecedented level of clinical care to your patients. The small community allows for closer working relationships between primary and secondary care and there are many opportunities to get involved with service development for those motivated to improve service delivery.

Life on the island is surprisingly modern. Stornoway has all the shops and services you could need. There are some of the best sport’s facilities in Scotland with the added benefit of being exceptionally quiet, well, compared to anywhere else in the UK. Above all, you are surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape in the world. To date, we’ve had better weather than South East England, with nine weeks of continual sunshine.

If you feel the need to escape the island, things couldn’t be easier; there are 6 return ferry services to the mainland and over 20 daily flights. Inverness is only 20 minutes be air, which can easily provide a weekend get-away, otherwise, an extra 10 minutes will get you Glasgow or Edinburgh.

There is a saying on the Western Isles: Slàinte mhor a h-uile là a chi ’s nach fhaicwelcome, translated from Gaelic means: good health. Island life is friendly, personable, and a welcome change from city living.”

Ethan Richardson – locum pharmacist from the Western Isles Hospital in Stornaway.

by Shaun Hockey
I can’t believe how much work we are getting in to the  PL-UK office at the moment. We are desperate for more locums to join our merry gang but the challenge is trying to get them to sign up. I know we offer locums the best service in the UK because we are told it so often, so I’m confident that when locum pharmacists try us, they’ll be hooked.

We have long term placements for locum pharmacists in Western Isles of Scotland, Sunderland, Devon and Cornwall and Guernsey for those looking for those looking for a bit of continuity and day placements all over the UK

Any ideas on how to attract more high quality locum pharmacists gratefully accepted!!

Call Linda or Lynne during office hours for more infiormation 0800 8818844 or Shaun outside office hours 07971187921

P.S. Less professional locums – I’m more than happy for them to register elsewhere