1. Most locum doctor jobs will earn you more than you would in the same position under a temporary contract. Plus you have the flexibility of being able to choose the hours you work and the jobs that you accept.

2. As a locum you’re self-employed – that means you become responsible for your own tax and National Insurance contributions and for accounting to HMRC for everything that you earn. It also changes things if you want to obtain a mortgage – you’ll need at least two years worth of evidence of self-employment.

3. Being a locum means living with a degree of uncertainty – there’s a huge demand for locums in the UK at the moment but you aren’t guaranteed the work. You may have to deal with not knowing how much your earnings will be on a month-to-month basis or uncertainty about where you will be working.

4. Locum doctor jobs provide a great deal of flexibility and freedom, giving you the opportunity to incorporate something into your life that full time work may not allow the time for, such as caring for a relative, pursuing an interest, or developing a new career. The downside of this is that you don’t have the security of paid holiday, benefits or sick pay.

5. Travelling can become part of your life as a locum – being able to move around will give you greater access to a wider range of temporary doctor jobs.

6. You can choose how to receive your income as a locum – either as a limited company or a sole trader. There are differences between the two but, essentially, you can reduce your tax liability if you set yourself up as a limited company.

7. You still need to keep up to date with CRB/DBS and it becomes more complex when you’re temporary. The same is true of CPD, which also needs to be maintained – it’s not impossible to do these as a locum, you just need to stay on top of it.

8. Locum jobs open up a whole world of opportunity to experience different working environments and new specialties.

9. It’s important to stay connected as a locum – you can choose to make it a very sociable role but sometimes it can be hard work and lonely. Locums need a thick skin and a friendly manner – forming professional networks can make the experience much more rewarding.

10. Being a locum can change your life – from more money to better experience and a more flexible life, it’s all possible as a locum.

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