Observational studyThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2022
Locum doctor use in English general practice: analysis of routinely collected workforce data 2017-2020.
Observational study in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- GP turnover in a multiprofessional team-based primary care system: evidence from Sweden.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Observational
- Consultations with locum doctors in UK general practice: longitudinal analysis of electronic health records.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Dispatch of locum doctors to rural clinics on remote islands in Japan.Journal of rural medicine : JRM · 2026Article
- Retaining doctors in organisations in socioeconomically deprived areas in England: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Continuity and locum use for acute consultations: observational study of subsequent workload.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Observational
- Understanding access to general practice through the lens of candidacy: a critical review of the literature.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024Review
- Article
- 'None of Them Know Me': A Qualitative Study of the Implications of Locum Doctor Working for Patient Experience.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
- General practitioner workforce sustainability to maximise effective and equitable patient care: a realist review protocol.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Locum doctor working and quality and safety: a qualitative study in English primary and secondary care.BMJ quality & safety · 2024Article
- The effect of general practice team composition and climate on staff and patient experiences: a systematic review.BJGP open · 2024Article
- Comparing the clinical practice and prescribing safety of locum and permanent doctors: observational study of primary care consultations in England.BMC medicine · 2024Observational
- Factors that influence locum practice in public and faith-based hospitals in Malawi.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2024Article
- Locum doctors in English general practices: evidence from a national survey.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023Article
- Use of locum doctors in NHS trusts in England: analysis of routinely collected workforce data 2019-2021.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Editor's response.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNumbers of GP locums in the NHS have grown in recent years, yet evidence on the scale and scope of the locum workforce in general practice is sparse.
aimTo identify characteristics, geographical patterns, and drivers of GP locum use. DESIGN AND
settingObservational study of routine data from general practices in England.
methodDescriptive analyses of national GP workforce data between December 2017 and September 2020 were conducted to determine the volume and geographical distribution of locum use and examine the characteristics of locums compared with other GP types. Locum full-time equivalent (FTE) was modelled using negative binomial regression and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for associations between outcome and characteristics of practices and population.
resultsIn December 2019, total locum FTE was 1217.9 compared with 33 996.6 for total GP FTE. Locums represented 3.3% of total GP FTE, which was fewer than other GP types. Median locum age was 42 years (interquartile range [IQR] 36 to 51) FTE and the majority were UK qualified (660 of 1034 [63.8%] total locum FTE), were male (642.6 of 1178.9 [54.5%] total locum FTE), and had long-term employment (834.1 of 1127.9 [74.0%]) total locum FTE. Rurality (IRR 1.250 [95% CI = 1.095 to 1.428]), inadequate Care Quality Commission ratings (IRR 2.108 [95% CI = 1.370 to 3.246), and single-handed practice (IRR 4.611 [95% CI = 4.101 to 5.184) were strong predictors of locum use. There was substantial variation in locum use between regions.
conclusionGP locum use remained stable over time. Compared with other GPs, locums were younger male GPs, a substantial percentage of whom did not qualify in the UK, and those who served underperforming practices in rural areas. This is likely to reflect recruitment or high turnover challenges in these practices/areas and can provide a greater understanding of general practice workforce challenges in England.
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