Doctor FAQs

As well as having over 30 years’ experience in the healthcare sector, we can provide you with access to the largest choice of locum positions and a vast number of exclusive contracts with NHS trusts and health boards, offering you first sight of available jobs.

We are committed to listening to you, understanding your needs and providing you with the best service in the market, all with the ultimate goal of supporting you to deliver outstanding care.

We aim to turn around your application within 48 hours, however, our timescales do depend upon how soon you can meet with us and provide all of the required documentation.

To assist with your registration, we have experienced staff who will guide you through the process. We can even meet with you to collect your documentation, speeding up the registration process.

Yes, however, this does depend on your level of medical experience. Once we receive your CV, we can let you know if this is possible before talking you through any available options.

In order to comply with NHS approved frameworks, we need to collate a number of documents. It is likely you will already hold the majority of these documents, however, if this is not the case, we can offer support and guidance. We require:

• CV & referee details
• GMC Registration and Certificate of Entry
• Proof of identification (e.g. passport or EU ID card)
• Proof of address
• Proof of Right to Work in the UK
• Immunisation records status
• One passport photo
• Police check (DBS/PVG/Access NI) Medacs Healthcare can apply for the enhanced check if required
• Certificates of qualifications (i.e. Basic Qualifications and Higher Qualifications)
• Life Support Certificate
• Mandatory Training Certificates (click here to view the full document checklist)

Yes. However, it is an NHS Framework requirement that we hold verified copies of all qualifications. Please discuss this with your dedicated registration officer as a disclaimer can be accepted.

There are different processes for working in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

To work in England and Wales, you must be registered with the DBS update service. If your certificate is registered with the update service, we will be able to access it. If it is not, we can apply for a new one on your behalf.

To work in Scotland, you must be a member of PVG. If you are already a member, we can apply for PVG update. If not, we can guide you through the PVG membership process.

To work in Northern Ireland, you must be registered with Access NI. If you are not registered with Access NI, we can guide you through the registration process.  

If you have previously worked with Medacs Healthcare, you do not need to submit all of your original documentation again, only those that have expired.

No, online bank statements cannot be used as proof of address for DBS application.

Many other addressed documents can be accepted. These include a valid vehicle registration document, store card statement, addressed payslip and a DBS Disclosure Certificate issued by another body dated within the last 12 months.

A photo card driving license can only be used as part of your DBS/PVG/Access NI application if it holds your current address. If it does not hold your current address, the document is invalid.

It is possible to obtain a copy from the body within 28 days of the original issue date. After this time, a copy will no longer be available.

Due to guidelines, Medacs Healthcare is unable to provide you with a copy.

We appreciate this may be frustrating, but in order to supply into the NHS, we are bound to adhere to NHS Framework guidelines. As such, we must verify all original qualifications.

We adhere to framework requirements which state that referees must be from a supervising consultant (ideally, a permanent staff member). If you are applying for consultant or associate specialist work, we will require a reference from a medical director.

Yes. However, you must forward your new certificate once you have received it.

Locum work offers you the flexibility to work when, where and how often you like.

Working with Medacs Healthcare also grants you access to your own dedicated placement officer who will look after you and guide you through every step of the locum process.

One of the advantages of being a locum doctor/GP is that you decide how many hours you work each week.

An average full-time position will be 37.5 hours per week, however, some positions do offer on-call hours. Alternatively, if you prefer working ad hoc days, evenings or weekends, we have plenty of shifts to suit you too.

If you are registered with Medacs Healthcare, simply notify your placement officer. They will be able to discuss the role with you in more detail, including a general overview of the job, the grade and speciality, pay, breaks, travel, accommodation and expenses.

If you are not registered with Medacs Healthcare, you will need to sign up before we can offer you locum work.

Once you have confirmed your interest and availability, we will submit your details to the client (trust/health board) detailing your preferences (dates, pay rates, accommodation, etc.). Your details will be submitted alongside those of any other doctors who are interested in the role. At this stage, you are expected to give your full commitment to the position for which you have applied.

The client will have the final say on which doctor/GP is selected. This decision may be based on experience, if you are known to the department, rate of pay and/or references.

Once we receive confirmation from the client, we will notify you verbally and follow up with a written communication confirming the details of the booking, including where to report to, rate of pay, timesheet submission process and expected payment date.

Yes. However, we politely request that you commit to the first job that comes back as the client has spent time reviewing each candidate for the role.

You can withdraw your interest at any time before a decision is made.

While we do ask for your full commitment with each booking, we understand that some circumstances are out of your control. If you need to cancel a booking, we request that you contact your placement officer as soon as possible and explain your reasons for needing to cancel.

In the event that a client cancels your booking, we will call you to explain the rationale and help to find you alternative work if required.

Medacs Healthcare has a policy of not supplying doctors/GPs to hospitals that habitually cancel bookings and each incident is thoroughly investigated.

All agency workers working in Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs) are required by NHS Framework to provide an HIV test result.

Please contact your recruitment consultant/registration officer for information on organisations able to facilitate tests required for registration.

Due to NHS Framework requirements, only designated signatories are authorised to verify your scar.

Due to the nature of locum work, locum doctors are more at risk from infection due to working at numerous trusts. Therefore, guidelines are slightly different for doctors who work full-time in the NHS.

This will depend on where you have worked. For each job you are booked for, you will receive a confirmation letter which details who will pay you; this could be Medacs Healthcare, a third party company or the trust directly.

If you are to be paid by Medacs Healthcare, the process through which you are paid depends on how you have chosen to receive payment.

If you are being paid via PAYE:

• Timesheet - Submit your timesheet by 4pm via email to timesheets@medacs.com
• Receipt - You will receive an email receipt confirming your timesheet has been received
• Payment - Payment will be made to your bank account within three working days
• Payslip - Access your electronic payslip (and other payment documents) by logging in to your secure candidate portal

For payment through an umbrella company:

• Timesheet - Submit your timesheet by 4pm via email to timesheets@medacs.com
• Receipt - You will receive an email receipt confirming your timesheet has been received
• Payment - Payment will be made to your umbrella company within three working days
• Payslip - Your umbrella company will issue you with a payslip

For payment through a Personal Service Company:

• Timesheet - Submit your timesheet by 4pm via email to timesheets@medacs.com
• Receipt - You will receive an email receipt confirming your timesheet has been received
• Payment - Payment will be made to your Personal Service Company within three working days via BACs. This is based upon agreeing to self-billing or submitting a valid VAT invoice
• Payslip - Access your electronic payslip (and other payment documents) by logging in to your secure candidate portal

To be paid for travel, details of your travel claim and/or mileage must be stated on your timesheet. Failing to provide this information could lead to delays in payment.

Please provide receipts for any non-mileage claims.

No. This often occurs as a result of mandatory breaks being deducted from your hours as per the trust’s breaks policy. For more information, please consult your confirmation letter.

If you are still unsure, please speak to your recruitment consultant regarding the trust's policies.

Before payment can be released, all timesheets supplied for payment via a limited company must be accompanied by a corresponding invoice. This would need to be supplied from your limited company and should match your timesheet submitted.

Ideally, invoices should be provided at the same time as your timesheet in order to reduce payment delays.

Yes, we do offer a self-billing service. This means we will create a self-bill invoice on behalf of your limited company.

If you are interested in finding out more about self-billing, please contact our Finance Compliance team on +44 (0) 1756 702 226 and select Option 1.

If you haven’t worked with Medacs Healthcare in the last 12 weeks, a P45 will be issued to you and your payroll record will be closed from the date on which you were last paid. This allows us to maintain up to date records with HMRC.

You will also receive a P45 if you notify your placement officer that you wish to stop working with us.

Should you wish to continue working with Medacs Healthcare, simply contact your recruitment consultant. You will also need to return your P45 to our Finance Compliance team via email.

A Key Information Document is a two-page document which provides you with details of how any deductions and fees may affect your pay.

This document is designed to help you understand what deductions will be made from your pay, helping you to decide which payment method suits your personal circumstances.

Medacs Healthcare will send you a KID when you first register. Should you ever want to change your method of payment, you will receive a KID relevant to your new payment method.

• Basic information about your contract, example pay rates and pay arrangement
• All statutory and non-statutory (umbrella margin/fee) deductions to be made to your pay
• Any holiday entitlement and other non-monetary benefits you can expect to receive
• An example statement to demonstrate the deductions that will be made and how these may affect your take home pay - figures will be estimated and will not reflect the specific rate of pay that you will receive

The KID does not need to show the exact pay rate that you will receive. It will show an example pay rate. As a locum doctor, Medacs Healthcare has set this example pay rate as £40 per hour. This rate has been chosen to enable Medacs Healthcare to provide you with a working example of how any potential deductions and fees may affect the pay you receive.

It is important to remember that this is an example rate and will not be the rate you will be paid.

Yes, the KID will show the fee that the umbrella will charge

When your payment method is changed on our system, you will receive a KID relevant to your new method of payment. If you have chosen to work through a specific umbrella, you will receive a KID specific to that umbrella.