Staff Handbook

• Overview
• What Can We Offer You
• Your First Placement
• Documents and Information Required
• Criminal Records Bureau Disclosures
• Immunisation Requirements
• Timesheets and Payroll
• Your Responsibilities
• Health and Safety
• Moving and Handling
• Safeguarding Children
• Dealing with Allegations of Abuse
• Reporting Handling and Management of Complaints
• Additional Information
• Useful Contacts

Timesheets and Payroll

For each week or part week of the placement you cover, you will receive a timesheet which should be carefully completed giving clear details of all hours worked and travel details where travel is to be reimbursed. These timesheets need to be signed by an authorised person as indicated in your confirmation letter. A duplicate copy should be left with the signatory, and the originals sent back to Medacs Healthcare as soon as possible.

Payment will be transferred directly to your bank or building society via our BACS system. Once you have submitted your timesheets and the hours have been approved, you will be paid within 4 working days as each timesheet carries a unique number, please ensure that you use the one assigned to the associated placement to ensure payment is not delayed. Payments are made to the nearest quarter hour and are rounded down. You will be advised as to whether or not your travel expenses are covered before you are put forward for a placement. In such cases, please retain receipts such as bus/train fares. Mileage is verified via the AA website, www.theaa.com.

Tax
When you commence working with Medacs Healthcare, you will be sent a P46 form which you need to complete and return to our Accounts Department. This enables the tax office to inform us of the appropriate tax code for you. If you have a break of three months or more, it is Medacs Healthcare and the Inland Revenue's procedure to send you a P45. Should you decide to leave Medacs Healthcare at the end of continual work, please request a P45, which should then be passed to your full time employer.

National Insurance
If you are already working in a full time job, you may be exempt from further contributions on any Locum work undertaken. To ensure your payments are accurate, please request a CA72 form from us. Upon completion, this form needs to be sent to the Contributions Agency for assessment. If applicable, a Deferment Certificate will be sent to us, which will allow us to refund any contributions already deducted and to stop further deductions for the current tax year only.

Self Employment
You may be considered self-employed, but only if you are a Consultant or General Practitioner, filling a Consultant or a General Practitioner placement. Any other grade is considered as supervised and as such, cannot be self-employed. To be paid gross, we need you to certify that your tax office considers you self-employed to ensure we do not deduct tax and National Insurance.

Limited Company
There are some circumstances where individuals can find it advantageous to work through a Limited Company. This means that instead of paying tax 'at source' you could be paid as a Limited Company putting you in control of your financial affairs. Limited Company partners aim to make it hassle-free for you by looking after all the complicated details like invoicing and company administration.When working through a Limited Company it is mandatory that you and the company respectively hold appropriate levels of professional indemnity and public liability insurances.

Holiday Pay
Most Locums not working as a self-employed Doctor or through a Limited Company are entitled to holiday pay calculated in line with the Working Time Regulations from the first day of their placement. You can discuss your holiday entitlement at any time by contacting your Placement Officer.

Accommodation
Accommodation is available at most hospitals, although a cost may be incurred. A few hospitals do offer free accommodation and wherever possible we will try and negotiate this for you.Any matters relating to accommodation must be confirmed at the time of the placement confirmation.