The scale and scope of locum doctor use in General Practice inCitation formats

TY - JOUR

T1 - The scale and scope of locum doctor use in General Practice in

T2 - Scale and scope of locum GPs

AU - Grigoroglou, Christos

AU - Walshe, Kieran

AU - Kontopantelis, Evan

AU - Ferguson, Jane

AU - Stringer, Gemma

AU - Ashcroft, Darren

AU - Allen, Thomas

PY - 2021/8/21

Y1 - 2021/8/21

N2 - Background: Numbers of GP locums in the NHS have grown in recent years, yet evidence on thescale and scope of the locum workforce in general practice is sparse.Aim: To identify characteristics, geographical patterns and drivers of GP locum use.Design and setting: Observational study of routine data from general practices in England.Methods: Descriptive analyses of national GP workforce data betwen December 2017-September 2020, to determine the volume and geographical distribution of locum use andexamine the characteristics of locums compared to other GP types. We modelled locum FTEusing negative binomial regressions and estimated Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) for theassociation between the outcome and practice and population characteristics.Results: In December 2019, locums made up 1,217.9 (3.3%) of 33,996.6 total GP FTE which wasfewer than other GP types. Median locum age was 42 years (IQR, 36–51), and the majority wereUK qualified (660 of 1,034 total locum FTE), were male (642.6 of 1,178.9 locum FTE), and hadlong-term employment (834.1 of 1,127.9 total locum FTE). Rurality (IRR=1.250; 95%CI 1.095-1.428), inadequate CQC ratings (IRR=2.108; 95%CI 1.370-3.246) and single-handed practice(IRR=4.611; 95%CI 4.101-5.184), were strong predictors of locum use. There was substantialvariation in locum use between regions.Conclusion: GP locum use remained stable over time. Compared to other GPs, locums areyounger male GPs, a substantial percentage of whom did not qualify in the UK, who serveunderperforming practices in rural areas. This is likely to reflect recruitment or high turnoverchallenges in these practices/areas a

AB - Background: Numbers of GP locums in the NHS have grown in recent years, yet evidence on thescale and scope of the locum workforce in general practice is sparse.Aim: To identify characteristics, geographical patterns and drivers of GP locum use.Design and setting: Observational study of routine data from general practices in England.Methods: Descriptive analyses of national GP workforce data betwen December 2017-September 2020, to determine the volume and geographical distribution of locum use andexamine the characteristics of locums compared to other GP types. We modelled locum FTEusing negative binomial regressions and estimated Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) for theassociation between the outcome and practice and population characteristics.Results: In December 2019, locums made up 1,217.9 (3.3%) of 33,996.6 total GP FTE which wasfewer than other GP types. Median locum age was 42 years (IQR, 36–51), and the majority wereUK qualified (660 of 1,034 total locum FTE), were male (642.6 of 1,178.9 locum FTE), and hadlong-term employment (834.1 of 1,127.9 total locum FTE). Rurality (IRR=1.250; 95%CI 1.095-1.428), inadequate CQC ratings (IRR=2.108; 95%CI 1.370-3.246) and single-handed practice(IRR=4.611; 95%CI 4.101-5.184), were strong predictors of locum use. There was substantialvariation in locum use between regions.Conclusion: GP locum use remained stable over time. Compared to other GPs, locums areyounger male GPs, a substantial percentage of whom did not qualify in the UK, who serveunderperforming practices in rural areas. This is likely to reflect recruitment or high turnoverchallenges in these practices/areas a

KW - employment; general practice; health care workforce

M3 - Article

JO - British Journal of General Practice

JF - British Journal of General Practice

SN - 0960-1643

ER -