The Locum Doctor in the Australian context
Locum doctors and locum tenens positions have made up part of the Australian health care landscape since the beginning of modern scientific medicine in the 1900s, with the establishment of regional hospitals and private practices.
While underpinned by Western medical concepts and medicines, medical practice and health care in Australia have distinct characteristics – shaped by Australia’s history and the physical landscape. For example, the penal character of the first colonies, and their interaction with convicts, settlers and Indigenous peoples, saw health services and medical care delivered and provisioned for by the state. Expansive distances, isolated regions, and tough environmental conditions made service delivery and access to health care a challenge. Other characteristics, such as immigration, the establishment of universities and research institutions, politics, and later, economic markets, have also impacted the health system and workforce arrangements in Australia. For a deeper read into the complexities of locum employment in Australia’s public hospitals, please see this interesting resource: The Medical Journal of Australia – The Challenge of Locum Working Arrangements in New South Wales Public Hospitals.
Historically, and today, locum doctors fill important areas of need, helping to keep health services, hospitals, and medical clinics safely staffed while providing specialist skills and expertise that benefit the patient, the health service, and the community.
In today’s healthcare environment, with staffing pressures even more pronounced, strong demand for locum doctors will continue.
Many doctors will try locum work at least once in their careers. Some doctors undertake short-term locum posts during their annual leave or during a year off. Others choose to undertake locum work on an ongoing basis, preferring locum-only work to a fixed permanent role. Many doctors find locum work provides flexibility and many other benefits. In today’s healthcare landscape, doctors can even take on multiple roles simultaneously, combining locum and non-locum contracts.
Main reasons doctors try locum work in Australia:
- to gain more experience or further develop their scope of practice.
- to work in a different environment.
- to ‘give back’ to more vulnerable communities.
- to provide medical expertise to rural, regional, and remote health services and communities across Australia.
- for improved work-life balance and flexible hours.
- to travel.
- for financial benefits and higher hourly pay.
Doctors often find locum work rewards them personally, professionally, and financially. With 2024 already underway, it is a good time to keep an eye out for locum opportunities and any advantages they may offer.
Where is Locum work available in Australia?
Locum doctor positions are available across Australia, in regional, rural and metropolitan areas. Locum positions vary and can suit doctors from a range of medical levels and disciplines.
View and apply for current locum doctor jobs available in Australia on MedicalJobsAustralia.com.
