Ireland
Membership information 1800 932 916
Medicolegal advice 1800 936 077
Search
Membership information 1800 932 916
Medicolegal advice 1800 936 077

The risks of being a locum

I met a senior casualty nurse lately who told me about the difficulty of doctors in training changing every six months; they had to fit into established routines and practices. The same applies to locum GPs starting at a new practice. Established members of staff, including receptionists, might see themselves as the unacknowledged captain, running the ship. They want no challenge to established practice, especially from a locum GP. There will be occasions when they can be heard perpetrating the lowly status that locums are held in… “Your doctor is away, I am afraid. We only have a locum if you want to see him.” This is where the relationship starts between the new locum GP and the patient.

The secretary or nurse is often permanent and established, protected by employment law as well as by established relationships in the practice. The GP locum is temporary and vulnerable; their reputation is entirely dependent on the answer to the question that the GP principal asks his receptionist on his return: “How did the locum get on?”

The GP locum is temporary and vulnerable
The GP locum needs a reference, this time not from his consultant in hospital, but from the receptionist, patients, and the locum agency. It is rare indeed for the principal to ask the GP locum how things went with the receptionist and patients. And the relationship is not strong enough for the principal to get the truth. “Grand” is an easy answer. Doctors are therefore sometimes more vulnerable than nurses and secretarial staff. And yet the buck stops there.
The GP locum needs a reference, this time not from his consultant in hospital, but from the receptionist, patients, and the locum agency

GP locums may find themselves challenged successfully by established staff around issues that the doctor feels affect clinical practice: “sign this, this, and this,” in rapid and blinding speed. It is understandable, if unhelpful, that the GP who is away, and who has never met the locum, will take the version of history as narrated by his secretary: “the locum would not sign some of the forms”. The principal may be understandably shy and reticent to discuss an awkward issue with the locum, now gone. It is easier to not talk with the locum to get both sides and it is easier not to hire the awkward locum again rather than upset the applecart. Gone is the search for the truth and best practice.

We are all human and we all have bad days, but human upset will cause human error. Medical error is far more expensive and time-consuming than working on all relationships, especially the vulnerable ones. Strange as it may seem, the most vulnerable person is often the doctor.

Dr Paul Heslin is a GP based in Dublin

« Take control of your risk
First impressions count - triage in reception »
Show oldest on top

2 comments

Leave a comment
  1. kale | May 16, 2024

    Ketika Anda sedang mencari tempat bermain slot online yang gacor dengan berbagai kemudahan transaksi, tidak ada yang mengalahkan Mancing138. Kami menyediakan lingkungan bermain yang tidak hanya seru tapi juga sangat user-friendly, dimana Anda bisa mulai bermain hanya dalam beberapa langkah mudah. Di Mancing138, kami menjamin Anda akan menemukan pengalaman bermain game yang menyenangkan dan menguntungkan.

    Mudah dan Cepat, Deposit Melalui Pulsa dan E-WalletDi Mancing138, kami mengerti bahwa kemudahan dan kecepatan transaksi adalah kunci untuk pengalaman bermain game yang menyenangkan. Oleh karena itu, kami menyediakan berbagai opsi deposit yang bisa Anda pilih sesuai kenyamanan Anda. Anda bisa memilih untuk deposit via pulsa, yang mendukung provider besar seperti Telkomsel dan XL. Prosesnya cepat dan mudah, bahkan bagi Anda yang baru pertama kali bermain slot online.Untuk Anda yang lebih suka menggunakan e-wallet, kami juga telah mengintegrasikan sistem kami dengan beberapa e-wallet populer di Indonesia seperti DANA, ShopeePay, GoPay, dan OVO. Transaksi dengan e-wallet tidak hanya cepat, tetapi juga terjamin keamanannya, sehingga Anda bisa bermain dengan lebih tenang dan fokus pada menang.

    Mainkan Beragam Game Slot Gacor Hari Ini!Tidak perlu menunggu lama setelah deposit, Anda langsung bisa menikmati berbagai game slot yang gacor di Mancing138. Kami selalu memperbarui library game kami dengan slot-slot terbaru yang memiliki RTP (Return to Player) tinggi, yang artinya kesempatan untuk menang akan lebih besar. Dari slot klasik hingga slot video dengan berbagai tema menarik siap menjamin pengalaman bermain Anda tak terlupakan.

    Daftar dan Mainkan Demo Sekarang Juga!Jika Anda masih baru di dunia slot online atau ingin mencoba game baru sebelum bertaruh uang sungguhan, manfaatkan fitur demo kami. Bermain demo adalah cara terbaik untuk mengenal berbagai fitur game tanpa risiko. Dan ketika Anda siap, mendaftar di Mancing138 sangat mudah. Klik tombol "Daftar Sekarang" di website kami, isi data yang diperlukan, dan Anda siap untuk memulai petualangan menang Anda di dunia slot gacor Mancing138.

    Kunjungi Mancing138 hari ini, tempat yang sempurna bagi Anda untuk menemukan slot gacor, melakukan deposit mudah, dan memenangkan hadiah besar! Selamat bermain dan semoga beruntung!

  2. ashater | Aug 30, 2023
    This post has left me inspired and motivated; it's exactly what I needed.شركة مكافحة حشرات

    Leave a comment