Remote GP work has become a normal part of general practice, from telephone and video sessions for a practice to clinical assessment for urgent care services. The job titles vary, so read each advert for what the session actually involves.
This guide is for GPs looking for remote locum or sessional work in the UK. It covers the kinds of work on offer, what employers ask for and the questions to settle before your first session.
The kinds of remote GP work
Most remote sessions fall into a few groups. Each has its own workload, systems and expectations, so compare like with like.
- Practice sessions: telephone and video consultations, online consultation review, results, letters and prescription requests for one practice or PCN.
- Hub and triage work: reviewing patient contacts across several practices.
- Urgent care: clinical assessment services, NHS 111 and out-of-hours providers, often in the evening and at weekends.
- Hybrid posts: mostly remote, with some sessions on site for examinations and team work.
What employers ask for
Expect the same checks as on-site work. For NHS general practice in England that means full GMC registration with a licence to practise, an entry on the GP Register and inclusion on the performers list. Many adverts also ask for a set amount of post-CCT experience and familiarity with the practice’s clinical system.
Professional standards are the same too. The GMC applies its guidance to remote consultations as it does to face-to-face care, including knowing when a patient needs to be seen in person.
Sources: NHS England: national performers lists · GMC: remote consultations
Where you can work from
Remote means away from the practice, and usually still in the UK. Before you work from abroad, speak to your responsible officer, your medical defence organisation and the practice. NHS England advises GPs planning time abroad to contact their responsible officer at least three months before they go.
At home, you need a private, quiet space where confidential calls cannot be overheard, a reliable connection and the equipment the practice specifies. Your NHS smartcard and the practice’s remote access set-up have to work before the first patient.
Sources: NHS England: guidance for a GP planning to spend time abroad · GMC: remote consultations
How to judge a remote GP advert
Ask for the details that decide whether a session is workable:
- The number of patient contacts expected per session, and the session length.
- Who you contact for clinical advice during the session, and how quickly they respond.
- How patients who need examining are booked in with the practice.
- Which clinical system you will use, and whether access is tested in advance.
- Whether the work is pensionable and how you will invoice or be paid.
Register for remote work with FindALocum
Registration is free for locums and there is no work-finding fee. Tell us your experience, the systems you know, the remote work you can do and your availability. Practices agree your rate with you and pay you directly.
Common questions
Do I need to be on the performers list for remote GP work?
For NHS primary medical services in England, yes. Employers commonly ask for performers list inclusion alongside GMC registration with a licence to practise.
Can I do remote GP work from abroad?
Speak to your responsible officer, your medical defence organisation and the practice before you go. Some employers require you to work from the UK, and system access may be restricted outside it.
Is remote locum work pensionable?
NHS locum work can be pensioned through the Locum A and B forms if you work as an individual. Locums trading through a limited company cannot use those forms.
Official sources
Sources checked . Requirements can differ by country, employer and role; use the current guidance relevant to the work.
Published by FindALocum. How we prepare our articles · Suggest a correction
