ABSTRACT
GPs are likely to become full-time locums at two points in their career - before entering GP partnership as a Principal and after NHS retirement. Imposing the 1990 GP contract caused a demographic whiplash with a brief surplus of doctors available to work as locums, followed by the present moderate but persistent shortage. With an increased work-load in general practice and less tolerance of a delay in seeing a GP, there is more demand for locums. Deputising agencies are organised to different degrees, varying between the extremes of shambolic and oppressive. Deputising sessions are hard work, not well paid and unlikely to lead to great personal satisfaction. Locum groups may become more important when accreditation of locums is clarified as one of the criteria for accreditation should be membership of a peer group within which to continue medical education and audit or quality control.
