- The group's main function is to find work, particularly useful to find work which fits around your current bookings. If you are booked in Cardiff for a morning, for example, you are not going to relish the idea of an afternoon up in the Valleys.
I get plenty of work already
- Another benefit is that if you had to cancel, for example due to family illness, you may be able to find someone else on the group to step in at short notice.
Can I use the group to negotiate a higher rate?
- No. In fact discussion of specific rates or ranges for negotiable work is not allowed on the group because it is considered anti-competitive behaviour and may fall foul of regulations aimed at preventing cartels. There is no problem in discussing rates for work where those rates are imposed by the employer (e.g. salaried job X offers £Y, company X is offering £Y/report for medicolegal reports etc), as there is no opportunity for you to change your rate in response.
So how does it work?
- Practice managers use the website to list their work requests, and they are rebroadcast to the group. Users can make an offer for any those dates, and they are accepted or declined through the website. You can also list your availability and the practices you are happy to work for, and they can book you directly.
What else can you do on the group?
- Discussion of anonymised cases or practice issues, CPD, or any other issue that is relevant to locum work.
What about contact from agencies? I don't want everyone and their dog sending me spam.
- Not welcome, and contact from them is not passed on to the group. If your email address is ever given it will not be passed on to any third party unless legally required to do so.
Go on then, how much?
- There's no cost currently to be a member of the group. If this ever were to change in future it would be made very clear and would be something you would have to explicitly agree to.
So how do I join the discussion group?
- Go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/WelshLocumGPs and click Join group - keep an eye on your Inbox under 'Other messages' as, unless you are known to group members you will usually be contacted to verify your GMC details.
And what about jobs?
- If you register here on the site you can (optionally) get emailed notifications for shifts or permanent work that meets your requirements.