Last month, we surveyed our database of over 12,000 Locums to find out when they fill their diaries for the weeks and months ahead and what rates they feel are acceptable. We also asked a number of questions around distance they are willing to travel for work, if they are interested in ‘stay aways’ and locations in which they are based. These results provided us with lots of insights into our platform and how pharmacy coordinators can improve their operational efficiency through effective rota planning.
Location
Although we have locums on our platform who are based across the UK and Ireland, we have been able to break this down by region based on our results. To our surprise, the key regions where our pharmacists, technicians and dispensers are based is London (14%), Scotland (11%), North West England (12%), South East England (12%) and West Midlands (12%).
Traveling
It was great to see so many of our Locums are willing to travel up to 60+ miles outside of their radius for work (29%). This is in stark contrast to the 21% who have said they wouldn't be willing to travel any more than 10-20miles. This is primarily due to family commitments and travel arrangements. Some of the participants had provided feedback that they would change their answer and travel further if the rate was higher or mileage was offered.
Rates
When we asked our Locums what rate they would be willing to accept for a shift, over half had stated that they would be willing to accept a rate that was between £25-£35 p/h (57%) and 29% said they would be willing to accept a rate that was between £15-£25 p/h.
Posting Shifts
The best time to post shifts is on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays. This is because most of our Locums log in to fill up their diaries and book shifts on these days. We upload between 2000 to 5000 shifts per week but by posting your shifts on these days, you are allowing your rota to be filled faster and with more experienced staff.
Want to find out more about the questions we surveyed and the feedback we received? No problem, just fill in the form and download our PDF document containing our full survey questions, results and insights.