- HELP [Access key 0]
- ACCESSIBILITY [Access key 1]
- HOME PAGE [Access key 2]
- SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT [Access key 3]
- CONTACT US [Access key 4]
Call us on: 0141 208 2299
Thursday, 9th September 2010You are in: Home > News > Unique and low cost health care locum finder service launched
Unique and low cost health care locum finder service launched
A locum GP has found a way of saving overstretched practices and health boards hours of admin work – by using a monkey.
A locum GP has found a way of saving overstretched practices and health boards hours of admin work – by using a monkey.
But there is nothing cheeky about this monkey; it is a high-tech, low-stress locum finder for health professionals.
Locum Monkey is the creation of Dr Usman Qureshi, an entrepreneurial GP who has turned his experience of locum work into a website which connects practices and health boards with locums in their area.
With Locum Monkey a text message is sent instantly to available locums, saving doctors and nurses the hours of stress spent phoning individuals to obtain cover at short notice. Nurse banks and out of hours health care providers can also use Locum Monkey to contact locum staff instantly by text to cover upcoming shifts.
This is thought to be the first national online market place for locum GP services which could alleviate some of the well documented GP shortages within the NHS.
Dr Qureshi said:
“I know how difficult it is to find locum cover in particular. While working in hospitals and in out of hours services, I witnessed the agonising task of managers trying to fill shifts owing to cancellations and sickness. They have to phone around all their staff individually trying to find cover. It is expensive and stressful.”
“With Locum Monkey, practice managers can send a text to all, or selected individuals on the database, informing them of the vacancy. They save time and money and have an increased chance of finding someone quickly.”
Once the text message is sent out practices can choose to receive a phone call or a text from interested locums. This way both parties can negotiate their terms and get an agreement within minutes.
Locum Monkey, the stress-free locum finder, only launched last month but new locums are registering each week. Already 85 locum GPs have signed up to take part as it allows them to overcome the main difficulty of being visible to a large number of practices in their area. Locum GPs can register securely on the website and even select the areas they want to work in.
And it is not just time that GP practices can save through Locum Monkey. Qureshi said:
“Often practices and health boards face big fees for matching locums and employers. Because of the efficiency of the online database, the practices only pay to send a message to the locums. With Locum Monkey a GP could find cover for just 10p, the cost of one text message. This could save practices a fortune.”
A number of hospitals, health boards and GP practices have a list of locums, however, these are often out of date within a few weeks, and there are not the resources to check individuals’ availability if, for example, they are away on holiday or engaged with another contract.
“Locum Monkey allows locums to update their availability on their laptops, at home, day or night, so they could even change their status from the airport departure lounge if they decide to take a holiday.”
Registration with Locum Monkey is totally free. Practices and health board managers pay a small fee each time they use the service but nothing is charged to locums for use of the service. To register go to www.locummonkey.co.uk
We're on hand and here to help in a time of crisis.
Call us now on 0141 208 2299 or 07717 326 919
You can also email us at panic@fan-hitter.co.uk