“Perfect storm” for Locums

Dear <<First Name>>,

We have been listening to our locum pharmacist members' concerns regarding the reduced number of locum vacancies, the work available to them and reducing rates. We understand the impact that the pandemic has had on our locum members.

There is sadly, a near “perfect storm” of events that are significantly affecting the locum market. Due to the pandemic, many employed pharmacists have not been taking annual leave, some pharmacies have been closed or have reduced opening hours, pharmacists working in multiples’ head offices, primary care and education and similar settings have been redeployed back into community, as have a population of recently retired pharmacists who have temporarily returned to the register. Locums too have not been taking holidays, so it seems there is not just a lower demand for locums, but a higher than normal supply of locums available. All of which has had an impact on the availability of locum work.

In normal circumstances, 70% of the pre-reg cohort for a year would be joining the register on 1st August. Due to the GPhC decision to allow pre-regs to develop as Provisional Pharmacists (prov-regs), there will be an increased number of individuals able to join the register this year, albeit they will only be able to join as prov-regs until they pass an assessment in late 2020/early 2021. Though these individuals cannot locum themselves.

Locums are self-employed contractors that negotiate their rates with clients within a free market and it is to be expected that this change of supply and demand would impact on rates agreed. However, the PDA reiterate that it is unlawful for employers acting together, or by conspiring with a locum agency(ies) to seek to manipulate market rates and inhibit free-market conditions and where we receive evidence of employers and other organisations acting unlawfully, we will have no hesitation in referring any anti-competitive cartel behaviour to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), where necessary.

We are also concerned of reports that some employers have called on CCG pharmacists to support their activity, because “no locums are available”. Such reports seem contrary to the general picture of locum availability and potentially pull such pharmacists away from other important work. We would invite anyone aware of such claims to contact us with the details.

We expect the demand for locums to increase as lockdown eases. Pharmacies will be moving back to more usual opening hours and employed pharmacists will certainly need a holiday or break from the stressful environment they have been working in. The impact of the number of retirees returning to the register has been much smaller than was initially anticipated. Of those who agreed to join the retirees' temporary register, very few have taken work, but nevertheless these individuals are expected to return to their retirements. Some of the prov-reg cohort will not pass the assessment and will immediately be removed from the register.

It is not for the PDA to interfere in free-market negotiations between locums and potential clients, and just as it would be wrong and unlawful for employers to manipulate market rates and inhibit free-market conditions, so it would similarly be for an organisation that acts for locums.

However, the PDA has promoted the availability of locums by generating the Locum Task Force and those who registered agreed for their information to be shared with the NHS, CCGs and Health Boards. This has now been done and the list is available for these bodies to access to help with the COVID19 response. Nurses and Doctors were similarly asked to register their willingness to work at the Nightingale Hospitals, but the majority have not been required since the NHS has coped.

This ‘taskforce’ may be called upon to work in non-traditional pharmacy-related roles, help with the Nightingale initiative, or with the new track and trace system, helping to deliver CDs to the homes of patients in palliative care situations - and much more besides. As we move into the next phase the Locum Taskforce may or may not be called upon. Not all those who have registered will be required or suitable for certain tasks. We cannot predict how many on the register will be contacted.

In all of our influencing, we are constantly promoting the value of pharmacists as a critical resource within the health service and as decision-makers commit to make greater use of pharmacists to improve services a consequence is this also increases demand for members of the profession.

The NHS is also advertising job roles directly, which may be suitable for locum pharmacists, such as team Leader roles for the ‘track and trace’ initiative. Locums looking for work should keep checking the NHS jobs websites and respond to campaigns looking for healthcare professionals to help with the next phase. The situation will improve as lockdown eases with more locum work becoming available.

In the meantime, regarding financial assistance for the self-employed, the Government advice is to access the Government Gateway and look at income support for the self-employed. We will be communicating more about this in the near future.

Keep up to date with everything the PDA is doing in response to COVID-19 using the following link:
VIEW THE PDA'S DEDICATED COVID-19 WEB PAGE
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