Top Shifts of 2022
We have gone through all of our booked locum shifts from 2022 and have discovered the highest paid rate for a locum shift in the UK. We analysed over 150,000 that were booked and worked through Locate a Locum to find the highest paying shifts of 2022.
Rates have been a hot topic for many months now as we have seen record breaking rates for a number of years. However, there are many things which impact shift rate.
What factors influence shift rate?
There are many different factors that influence the shift rate. However top put it simply it is typically a result of supply versus demand.
For example, if there are fewer locums available to work in a particular area or on a particular day the rate tends to increase. On the other hand on an average day where there are many locums applying for shifts in that area shifts or on that day the shift rate will not fluctuate drastically and may stay the same for long periods of time.
Who decides the shift rate?
This is a question we get asked all the time and the answer is really simple. The Pharmacy sets the rate.
We at Locate a Locum have never been responsible for setting the rate of shifts on our site. Locate a Locum is a technology platform that connects locums with pharmacies to help facilitate shift bookings but in no way do we set the rate.
Top Shifts of 2022
An independent pharmacy based in Cheshire snagged the top spot this year for a Christmas Day shift at an incredible £150 per hour! The festive season saw many stores across the UK increasing their rates with 6/10 of our top spots going to shifts occurring on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
“Christmas Day has always been a highly paid shift time, for obvious reasons. In fact, it accounts for most of our high pay rate dates during the year, along with Christmas Eve and Boxing Day,” commented by our CEO Jonathon Clarke.
Going back to the supply/demand discussion it is inevitable that shifts during holidays in general are difficult to fill, such as during the summer when people go on holiday. To any locum looking to increase their earning potential those are the days/times of year you should target.
Apart from time of year we can also see the impact location has on shift rate in our top 10 league table with the Scottish Highlands and Dorset offering between £100 to £85 per hour. Due to the low smaller pool of locums or pharmacists to draw from in these areas in order to attract new locums in remote locations often will have higher rates. So it may be worth travelling a few extra miles for your next shift!
What do you think?
What did you think of the top rates? Have you encountered any similar rates? Let us know the top rate you saw in 2022 - did time of year or location play a part in it?