Checks before a locum starts.

GP and practice nurse registration

For locum GP work, check GMC registration, a licence to practise and the relevant GP Register status. NHS GP work also needs the applicable performers-list requirements to be checked for the country and arrangement. An entry on a professional register is not a substitute for that separate check.

For a practice nurse, check current NMC registration against the person’s identity, including any conditions or restrictions and relevant recorded qualifications. Review experience and competencies for the actual clinics and duties. A registration number or job title will not tell you whether someone has those skills.

Pharmacy registration

In England, Scotland and Wales, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must maintain registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Pharmacists practising in Northern Ireland must be registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

PSNI does not currently register or regulate pharmacy technicians in Northern Ireland, so there may be no PSNI technician registration number to check. Look at its latest information and the employer’s qualification and competence requirements.

Where registration applies, check current status, restrictions and any prescribing annotations needed for the role. Being registered does not show competence for every service, specialty or accuracy-checking task.

Checks for the work involved

Identify the checks required for the assignment and record who will obtain, assess and share the relevant evidence. These may concern identity, right to work, professional registration, indemnity, experience, references and additional requirements for the setting. Listing a check here does not mean it has been completed for a particular locum.

FindALocum, the hiring organisation and the locum each retain their applicable statutory and professional duties. Agreeing who carries out a task does not remove another party’s legal responsibilities. Unresolved evidence or suitability concerns must be addressed before proceeding with work that depends on those checks.

Hospital specialties, prescribing, primary care work and technician accuracy-checking duties need evidence relevant to the assignment. Disclosure and barring arrangements, service authorisations and training requirements differ by role and UK nation. Recruitment rules in Northern Ireland are separate from those in Great Britain.

What the hiring organisation needs to provide

Describe the team, workload, duties and systems accurately. Before the first day, arrange induction, authorised individual access, current local procedures and a named contact, and explain how supervision, escalation and handover will work.

For remote or hybrid work, agree approved equipment, secure access, communication with the on-site team and any attendance requirements before starting. The pharmacy, practice or hospital retains its own responsibilities for local operations, clinical governance and applicable employer or service-provider obligations.

What the locum needs to confirm

Keep applicable registration and supporting evidence current. Describe your qualifications and experience accurately, explain any limits to your availability or competence, and ask about unfamiliar systems or duties before accepting.

Both the hiring organisation and locum should receive written confirmation of the work and its terms. Any terms or information required before work finding starts must be provided at that earlier stage. A website receipt confirms an enquiry; it does not confirm a booking, verified checks or acceptance of an assignment.

If something changes

Contact us with your enquiry or booking reference if details are wrong or circumstances change. Do not include patient-identifiable information. For urgent patient safety concerns, follow the local escalation process and your professional obligations.

Useful links

• GMC: the GP Register
• GMC: search registration and licence status
• NHS England: performers-list requirements
• NMC: registration guidance for employers
• NMC: employer responsibilities
• General practice role requirements
• GPhC public register
• PSNI pharmacist registration
• PSNI: current pharmacy technician position in Northern Ireland
• GOV.UK: pharmacy technician registration in Great Britain
• Remote pharmacist role and access requirements
• Hospital pharmacist requirements
• Pharmacy technician roles and checks