The route you use for cover decides what you pay, who you contract with and how much admin falls to the practice. CQC notes that most GP locums are freelance and find work through local contacts as well as agencies, chambers, LMCs and sessional GP groups, so no single route reaches every clinician.
This guide compares the main routes, summarises what better-known providers say they offer and explains where FindALocum is different. Provider descriptions come from their own websites on 9 October 2026. They are not rankings or endorsements, and we have no commercial relationship with any of them.
What FindALocum offers practices
FindALocum introduces locums to GP practices and PCNs. The service is built around three questions practice managers ask: what will this cost, who pays the clinician, and can one place cover more than GPs?
- One flat booking fee per locum day, the same for every profession.
- No subscription, and no percentage added to the locum’s rate.
- Your practice agrees the rate with the locum and pays them directly, so you see exactly what the clinician receives.
- GPs, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and practice nurses from one place.
- On-site, remote and hybrid sessions.
- Free for locums to register, with no work-finding fee.
- A Yorkshire focus on practices in Leeds and Sheffield, with enquiries welcome from across the UK.
See how our booking fee works →
Compare routes on cost, payment and roles
Ask every provider the same questions. GOV.UK explains that an employment agency introduces workers to a hirer, while an employment business engages and supplies them, and the arrangement changes who pays the locum and who is responsible for what.
| Question | FindALocum | Ask other providers |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays the locum? | Your practice, directly, at the rate you agree. | Some agencies engage and pay the locum, then invoice you. |
| How is the fee charged? | A flat booking fee per locum day, shown on our pricing page. | Fees can be hourly, per session, per booking, a margin on the rate or a subscription. |
| Is there a subscription? | No. | Check before you sign up. |
| Which roles are covered? | GPs, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and practice nurses. | Some services focus on GPs only. |
| Remote and hybrid work? | Yes, alongside on-site sessions. | Ask whether remote sessions are offered. |
| What do locums pay? | Nothing to register and no work-finding fee. | Some platforms charge clinicians a membership or booking fee. |
| Shift | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Locum GP, morning | Monday | 2 applied |
| Practice nurse | Tuesday | Offered |
| Clinical pharmacist | Wednesday | Booked |
The main routes to a locum
Most practices combine some of these. The examples are services that describe this kind of offer on their own websites.
| Route | How it works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction services | The service introduces a locum; you contract with and pay the locum directly. | FindALocum |
| Recruitment agencies | The agency finds a locum for you. Depending on its model, it may supply and pay the locum. | Chase Medical, Dream Medical, ID Medical, Locum.co.uk |
| Booking platforms | You see available clinicians or post sessions, then book. | Lantum |
| Local banks and sessional groups | An ICB, federation, LMC or sessional GP group shares local availability. Some banks are NHS funded. | Birmingham and Solihull Locum Bank (ICB-run) |
| Job boards | You advertise a vacancy and handle applications yourself. | NHS Jobs, RCGP Jobs |
| Your own contacts | You book locums who have worked with you before and contract with them directly. | Your practice locum list |
Sources: NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB: locum bank · CQC: GP mythbuster 50, GP locums
Better-known providers at a glance
These summaries come from each provider’s own website. Check their current services, coverage and terms with them before booking.
| Provider | Type | What it says it offers |
|---|---|---|
| FindALocum (findalocum.co.uk) | Introduction service | GPs, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and practice nurses; a flat fee per locum day, with the locum paid directly by the practice. |
| Lantum (lantum.com) | Workforce platform | A rota tool, staff bank and GP marketplace for primary care organisations. |
| Chase Medical (chase-medical.com) | Recruitment agency | Locum and permanent GPs, practice nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists and other primary care staff. |
| Dream Medical (dreammedical.co.uk) | Primary care recruitment agency | Locum and permanent GPs, practice nurses, ANPs and other primary care staff. |
| ID Medical (id-medical.com) | Healthcare recruitment agency | A primary care service covering salaried and locum GP work, alongside hospital staffing. |
| Locum.co.uk (locum.co.uk) | GP staffing agency | GP locum cover and permanent placements, including in-hours, out-of-hours and urgent care. |
Questions to ask before you book
The answers decide what a booking really costs and who is responsible for what.
- Who contracts with and pays the locum: you, or the agency?
- How is the fee charged, and is VAT added?
- Is there a charge if you later engage the locum directly?
- Which checks has the service completed, and how would you get the evidence if CQC asked?
- What happens if a session is cancelled by either side?
- Who handles NHS pension forms for the locum?
- Can you see the locum’s experience before you accept, and choose remote or on-site work?
Sources: CQC: GP mythbuster 50, GP locums
Add FindALocum to the routes you already use
Different routes reach different clinicians, and availability changes by area, day and notice period. Keeping more than one route open means a gap on one does not leave you without cover.
Send every route the same cover brief, record which one filled each session and compare the total cost every few months. Adding FindALocum costs nothing until a locum works for you.
Common questions
Which is the best GP locum agency?
It depends on what you need. Compare who pays the locum, how the fee is charged, which roles are covered and whether remote work is available. FindALocum offers a flat fee per locum day, four professions and direct payment to the locum, and works alongside the routes you already use.
Do you cover Leeds and Sheffield?
Yes. Leeds and Sheffield are our focus areas, and we take enquiries from practices across the UK. Give the site postcode, dates and sessions when you request cover.
Is it cheaper to book a locum directly?
Booking directly avoids a third-party fee, but your practice does the finding, checks and admin itself. Compare the total cost and time for the same booking.
Can we use several agencies at once?
Yes, unless a contract you have signed says otherwise. Read each provider’s terms, particularly on cancellations and any fee for engaging a locum directly later.
Official sources
Sources checked . Requirements can differ by country, employer and role; use the current guidance relevant to the work.
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