Submit CV

Explore new opportunities in healthcare.

How to Register as a Locum Doctor

Whether you're applying for your first locum role or returning after time away, understanding the registration process can help you get started more quickly and confidently.

This guide explains how to register as a locum doctor with Medacs Healthcare, including the documents you'll need, the compliance checks involved, how the process works and the support available throughout registration. By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of what to expect and the steps involved before you can begin working as a locum doctor.

Why register with Medacs Healthcare?

Medacs Healthcare has supported doctors with locum and permanent opportunities for more than 35 years.

As an approved supplier on major healthcare frameworks, including Crown Commercial Service (CCS), HealthTrust Europe and NHS Scotland, we provide access to locum opportunities across the NHS and private sector throughout the UK.

Our dedicated compliance team supports doctors through the registration process, helping to ensure the checks required by healthcare organisations, regulators and framework providers are completed as efficiently as possible.

Whether you're looking for occasional locum shifts, long-term placements or your next career move, our specialist doctor recruitment teams can help you find opportunities that match your specialty, grade and preferences.

Learn more:

What do you get when you register with Medacs Healthcare?

Registering with Medacs Healthcare gives you access to specialist support, a wide range of opportunities and a team that understands the requirements of working as a locum doctor.

Here's what you can expect.

What you get	What it means for you
An experienced compliance contact	A named compliance specialist who guides you through the registration process and an easy-to-use- app to help you understand what's required at each stage.
Access to a wide range of opportunities	Locum, fixed-term and permanent roles across the NHS and private sector, both within the UK and internationally.
Structured onboarding and compliance support	Support with the checks and documentation needed before you can start work, helping you progress through the registration process as efficiently as possible.
Revalidation and appraisal support	Guidance and support with maintaining the records and evidence needed throughout your career.
Clear pay arrangements	Transparent rates and payment processes, so you understand how and when you'll be paid before accepting a role.
Ongoing career support	Access to specialist recruitment teams who can support you with future opportunities as your experience, interests and career goals evolve.

How to register as a locum doctor

The registration process can vary slightly depending on your specialty, grade and previous experience, but in most cases it follows the same core steps.

The Steps	What it means
Register your interest and submit your up-to-date CV	Share your details and career experience so we can understand the type of opportunities you're looking for
Speak to a specialist doctor recruiter	Your recruiter will discuss your specialty, grade, preferred locations, availability and career goals to understand what you're looking for and identify suitable opportunities.
Speak to your dedicated compliance specialist	Your compliance contact will explain the requirements for your grade and specialty, answer any questions and guide you through the registration process.
Provide the required documents	You'll receive a login to our compliance platform and a personalised checklist covering the documents and checks needed to complete your registration.
We complete the verification process	Where documents can be verified quickly, such as a DBS on the Update Service, we do so as soon as possible. Other checks are completed in line with the requirements of the relevant organisation or framework.
You're ready to work	Once your compliance checks are complete, we'll match you with roles that align with your clinical skills, experience, specialty and availability.

Ways to help speed up the registration process

The factors that most commonly help doctors complete registration more quickly include:

Being registered with the DBS Update Service (or the PVG Scheme if you're planning to work in Scotland)
Having up-to-date mandatory training records available
Letting your referees know in advance that they may be contacted

Having these in place can help reduce delays during the compliance process.

Document Checklist

The documents you need for a speedy registration.

We'll need an up-to-date CV that clearly sets out your qualifications, training, clinical experience, employment history and current scope of practice.

Your CV is often the first document a trust or healthcare organisation reviews when deciding whether you're suitable for a role. It helps demonstrate your clinical experience, specialist skills, career progression and the types of environments you've worked in.

To help avoid delays, your CV should include:

Your current grade, specialty and GMC number
A full employment and training history since qualification
Clear start and end dates for each role
Details of any gaps in employment or training history
Relevant clinical skills, procedures, subspecialties and areas of interest
Appraisal, leadership, teaching, research or management experience where applicable

A clear and accurate CV helps us match you with suitable opportunities and supports the compliance checks required by healthcare organisations and NHS employers. Employment history checks are used to verify previous employment, training and suitability for a role.

Need help updating your CV? Your recruiter will be happy to review it with you and advise on anything that may need updating before it's shared with potential employers.

Top tip: Make sure your most recent role, dates, grade and specialty are up to date. Small inaccuracies or unexplained gaps in employment history are one of the most common reasons registration and compliance checks take longer than expected.

Before you can start work as a locum doctor, we'll need to verify your right to work in the UK.

This is usually done using a UK or Irish passport, EU Settlement Scheme status, a Skilled Worker visa, eVisa, BRP or other Home Office documentation.

If you're unsure which documents apply to you, don't worry. Your compliance contact will explain exactly what's needed and help you gather anything that may be missing.

Check the latest government guidance on proving your right to work in the UK.

To work as a locum doctor, you'll need a current GMC registration and licence to practise in good standing.

We'll verify your GMC registration as part of the compliance process and use your grade, specialty, scope of practice and recent clinical experience to match you with suitable opportunities.

For many locum roles, healthcare organisations will expect doctors to have recent UK clinical experience, often within the specialty they are applying to work in. The level of experience required can vary depending on the role, grade and organisation.

If you've recently returned to the UK, completed training, changed specialty or worked overseas, our specialist recruitment and compliance teams can advise on which opportunities may be available to you.

Having your GMC registration details up-to-date before you register can help avoid delays in the compliance process.

Useful resource:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing

We'll need an enhanced DBS certificate if you're working in England or Wales, or PVG scheme membership if you're planning to work in Scotland.

If you're registered with the DBS Update Service, we can often verify your DBS status online, which can help speed up the registration process and reduce the need for additional DBS applications.

If you don't currently have a DBS certificate or PVG membership in place, don't worry. Your compliance contact will explain what's required and support you through the process.

Useful links:

You'll need evidence of the immunisations, vaccinations and occupational health checks required for the roles you're applying for.

This helps confirm you're fit to work in a clinical environment and protects both patients and healthcare professionals.

If you already have recent occupational health records available, it can help speed up the registration process. If anything is missing or out of date, your compliance contact will explain what's needed and guide you through the next steps.

For more information take a look here: NHS Employers Occupational Health Guidance

To register you for work we'll need evidence that your mandatory training is up-to-date before you can start.

Depending on the role and organisation, this typically includes:

Basic Life Support (BLS) / Resuscitation
Safeguarding Adults and Children
Infection Prevention and Control
Moving and Handling (Manual Handling)
Information Governance and Data Security
Health and Safety
Fire Safety

Some specialties and healthcare organisations may require additional role-specific training.

These training requirements are designed to help ensure patient safety, meet NHS and regulatory requirements, and confirm you're ready to work safely and effectively in a clinical environment.

Current training records can also help speed up the registration process. Supported by the NHS Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF), these training standards help ensure consistency across healthcare organisations.

Not sure what's required or whether your training is still valid?

Our compliance team is here to help. They'll explain exactly what's needed for your grade, specialty and the roles you're applying for, answer any questions, and help you identify any training that may need updating before you start work.

Useful resources:

As part of the Medacs Healthcare registration process, we usually require a minimum of two clinical references covering your most recent two years of clinical practice.

If you've worked across multiple hospitals, trusts or placements during that time, we may need references that cover each period of employment to help verify your clinical experience and employment history.

If you've remained in the same role or organisation for the last two years, we'll typically require two clinical references covering that placement, ideally from clinicians who have directly supervised or worked alongside you.

Providing referee details early and letting your referees know they may be contacted can help avoid delays and keep your registration moving smoothly.

Not sure who can provide a suitable clinical reference? Your recruiter or compliance contact will be happy to explain the requirements and help you identify appropriate referees.

We'll need details of your most recent appraisal and current revalidation status as part of the registration process.

These documents show that you're maintaining the professional standards expected by the GMC and support healthcare organisations in verifying your suitability for locum work.

If you're already connected to a designated body, it's helpful to know who your responsible officer is and when your next revalidation is due.

For doctors working across multiple NHS trusts, healthcare organisations or locum placements, keeping appraisal and revalidation records up to date can sometimes be more complex than in a permanent role. This is because supporting information, feedback and evidence may come from multiple employers and placements.

Not sure what information you'll need to provide? Our recruitment and compliance teams can explain the requirements, answer any questions and help you understand what evidence may be needed as part of your registration.

Find out more here:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/revalidation

Before you can start work, we'll need confirmation of your professional indemnity arrangements, where applicable, along with the information required to process your payments.

Professional indemnity helps protect doctors if a clinical negligence claim or complaint arises from their professional practice. The type of cover required can vary depending on the work you're undertaking and where you're working.

We'll also collect your bank details and payment information as part of the registration process so you're ready to be paid as soon as you begin working.

Not sure what level of indemnity cover you need? Your recruiter or compliance contact can explain the requirements and help point you in the right direction.

Useful resources:

How long does registration take?

Registration times vary depending on how quickly your documents can be gathered and verified.

Having your compliance documents ready, including an active DBS Update Service subscription, current mandatory training certificates and responsive referees, can help speed up the process. The DBS Update Service allows organisations to check whether an Enhanced DBS certificate remains current without requiring a new application in every circumstance. [gov.uk], [DBS CRSC -...ine.gov.uk]

To help keep everything on track, you'll have access to our Compliance Hub, where you can upload documents and see what's still required to complete your registration.

If you have any questions, your dedicated compliance contact will be happy to help.

Contact our team
Read: How Easy Is It to Register as a Locum Doctor?

How Easy Is It to Register

Why we ask for all of this

A compliance checklist can feel like a lot, especially when you're keen to get started.

Every requirement is there to help protect patients, support safe clinical practice and ensure you're ready to work in the settings and roles you're applying for. Just as importantly, it helps protect you as a doctor.

You won't be expected to work through it on your own. Our compliance and recruitment teams are here to guide you through the process, answer your questions and explain exactly what's needed. If you'd prefer to talk things through, you can always speak directly to a member of our team.

Still have questions? We've answered some of the most common questions doctors ask about registration and compliance below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Simply share your CV and register your interest. You'll be introduced to a dedicated compliance contact who guides you through exactly what's needed, helps you gather your documents, and gets you cleared to work as quickly as possible.

It's a no-commitment first step.

You'll need proof of right to work, your GMC registration and licence to practise, an enhanced DBS, occupational health clearance, current mandatory training, two clinical references, an up-to-date CV, appraisal and revalidation evidence where applicable, and professional indemnity and payment details.

For a well-prepared doctor it can take just days.
Being on the DBS Update Service, having current mandatory training, and lining up referees early are the biggest factors in a fast clearance.

Our team works hard to keep every stage moving.

Yes, an enhanced DBS certificate (or an overseas equivalent where applicable) is required for clinical work.

If yours is on the DBS Update Service, verification is almost instant.
If not, we'll help you arrange one.

Yes. Medacs is an approved supplier on all the major NHS frameworks, including Crown Commercial Service, HealthTrust Europe and NHS Scotland.

It means we're independently vetted and trusted to place doctors into NHS trusts across the UK.

You can read more on our framework approvals page.

Not at all. Registering simply opens the door to opportunities and gets your compliance ready.

You're always free to choose which roles you take, and there's no obligation.

Yes.
Revalidation can be especially tricky for locums working across multiple organisations, and our team can support you to maintain your designated body connection and keep your appraisal and revalidation evidence on track.

Ready to register?

Whether you're looking for your first locum role, your next placement or a permanent opportunity, our specialist teams are here to help.

Submit your CV, explore current opportunities or speak to a member of the team about your registration, compliance requirements or the types of roles available.