The phrase "go locum" has shifted from shorthand for temporary cover to a deliberate career model. In 2026, more Australian doctors are choosing locum work not as a stopgap but as a primary approach to clinical practice. The reasons vary: flexibility, geographic variety, control over workload, or simply avoiding the administrative burden of permanent employment. But the mechanics of making it work remain consistent-credentialling, compliance, facility matching, and reliable placement systems.
What It Actually Means to Go Locum
To go locum is to work as a temporary doctor within a healthcare facility, typically filling gaps created by leave, vacancies, or service demand. The arrangement differs from permanent employment in structure, duration, and administrative responsibility. Locum doctors are usually engaged as contractors, managing their own tax, indemnity insurance, and professional registration. Some facilities employ locums directly on short-term contracts, but the majority of placements in 2026 operate through recruitment agencies that handle credentialling, rostering, and payment.
The model originated in the United States under the term locum tenens, and research has consistently shown that quality of care delivered by locum physicians is comparable to that of permanent staff when credentialling is managed properly. In Australia, locum work spans all hospital specialties-Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, ICU, O&G, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgical disciplines-with placement durations ranging from single shifts to multi-month contracts.
Why Doctors Choose to Go Locum
The decision to go locum is rarely made on a single factor. For early-career doctors, it offers exposure to different hospital systems, clinical environments, and supervising teams without the commitment of a fixed-term contract. For mid-career specialists, it provides income continuity during career transitions, parental leave, or while waiting for fellowship results. For senior VMOs, it allows selective rostering around personal commitments or private practice obligations.
Financial transparency is often cited as an advantage. Locum rates are typically higher than salaried equivalents to account for the lack of superannuation, annual leave, and sick leave entitlements. Doctors working through agencies receive clear shift rates upfront, and payment terms are outlined before the booking is confirmed. Those who go locum also avoid the administrative friction of internal hospital rosters, medical staff meetings, and mandatory training that falls outside rostered hours.
Geographic flexibility matters more than most workforce planners acknowledge. A doctor based in Sydney can accept a three-week ICU placement in Cairns, return home, then cover a fortnight in Adelaide. Regional facilities in particular rely on locums to maintain service continuity, and the willingness of doctors to travel has become a structural feature of Australia's hospital system. The logistics of travel and accommodation are increasingly managed by recruitment agencies, removing one of the traditional friction points for interstate work.
Burnout and workload control also drive the decision. Permanent roles often come with fixed rosters that don't account for fluctuating personal capacity. Locum work allows doctors to accept or decline shifts based on current workload, family commitments, or energy levels. This model aligns with the broader shift toward flexible working environments that acknowledge the unsustainability of traditional rostering practices.
Credentialling and Compliance: The Non-Negotiable Layer
No doctor can go locum without meeting credentialling and compliance requirements. These vary by facility type, state health department, and specialty. AHPRA registration is the baseline, but hospitals also require proof of current medical indemnity insurance, relevant college membership, immunisation records, and often facility-specific credentialling documents. Public hospitals may require additional paperwork related to state health employment frameworks, even when the doctor is engaged as a contractor through an agency.
The credentialling process is where many first-time locums encounter delays. A doctor who assumes their AHPRA registration and specialist college fellowship are sufficient will find that each facility has its own onboarding requirements. Some hospitals require credentialling committees to approve a locum before the first shift. Others delegate this to the recruitment agency, provided the agency holds appropriate accreditation. ISO 9001:2015 certification is one indicator that an agency's credentialling process is audited annually, but not all agencies pursue this standard.
| Credentialling Component | Requirement Level | Typical Verification Time |
|---|---|---|
| AHPRA Registration | Mandatory for all placements | Instant (online verification) |
| Medical Indemnity Insurance | Mandatory for all placements | 1–2 business days |
| Specialty College Membership | Required for specialist/VMO roles | 1–3 business days |
| Facility-Specific Credentialling | Varies by hospital | 3–14 business days |
| Immunisation Records | Mandatory for all placements | Instant if records current |
For specialists and VMOs, the credentialling layer is more complex. Anaesthetists, surgeons, O&G specialists, and psychiatrists each have college-specific requirements, and some facilities require proof of recent practice in the specialty before approving a placement. A VMO who has been out of clinical practice for six months may need to provide additional references or complete supervised shifts before being cleared for independent work.
How Placements Are Matched and Confirmed
When a doctor decides to go locum, the next step is registration with a recruitment agency or direct application to a facility. The former is far more common in 2026. Agencies maintain databases of credentialled doctors and match them to facility requests based on specialty, availability, and location preference. The process is not algorithmic in the way consumer tech platforms operate-it requires human judgment to assess whether a particular doctor is suited to a particular facility.
A registrar who has only worked in metropolitan teaching hospitals will need a different briefing before starting at a regional base hospital. The clinical environment, patient acuity, available resources, and escalation pathways differ. Agencies that understand this distinction provide pre-placement briefings, while those that treat placements as transactional bookings often leave doctors underprepared.
Speed of confirmation varies. Short-term medical locum placements for ad hoc shifts can be confirmed within hours if the doctor is already credentialled with the facility. Extended placements-parental leave cover, for example-require more lead time for credentialling committees to approve the placement and for the doctor to arrange logistics if the placement is interstate.
Payment terms are confirmed before the shift starts. Most agencies handle invoice submission and payment follow-up on behalf of the doctor, removing the administrative burden of chasing outstanding amounts. For doctors employed directly by the facility, the agency liaises to ensure payment terms are clear upfront. This distinction matters-contractors are responsible for their own tax withholding, while direct employees have PAYG deductions managed by the facility.
Interstate and Regional Considerations
To go locum often means to go regional or interstate. The demand for locum doctors is highest in facilities that struggle with permanent recruitment, and these are disproportionately located outside capital cities. A doctor willing to travel opens access to a wider range of placements, often at higher rates to compensate for the inconvenience of relocation.
Interstate practice introduces licensing and compliance complexity. While Australia operates under a national registration system through AHPRA, some states have additional requirements for public hospital employment. Queensland Health, NSW Health, and the Victorian health system each have procurement frameworks that determine which agencies can supply locum doctors to public facilities. Agencies with preferred supplier status across multiple state health departments simplify this process for doctors, as the procurement friction is handled at the agency level rather than requiring the doctor to navigate it.
Regional placements also require logistical coordination. A doctor accepting a three-week placement in Tasmania needs accommodation, travel arrangements, and orientation to the facility before arriving. Agencies that manage these logistics remove a significant barrier to accepting regional work. Those that expect doctors to arrange their own accommodation and travel often find that doctors decline placements outside their immediate geographic area.
The reliance of regional healthcare on locum doctors is well documented. Permanent recruitment in regional areas remains difficult, and locum cover has shifted from a temporary measure to a structural feature of workforce planning. Facilities that once viewed locums as a last resort now build them into annual rosters, particularly for specialty services that cannot support a full-time permanent position.
Specialty-Specific Realities
The experience of going locum varies significantly by specialty. Emergency Medicine locums are the most common, accounting for a disproportionate share of total placements. EDs operate 24/7, patient volumes fluctuate unpredictably, and rostering gaps occur frequently. The credentialling process for ED locums is relatively standardised, and most doctors with FACEM or equivalent can be placed quickly.
Anaesthetists and surgeons face a different set of constraints. Theatre access, credentialling for specific procedures, and facility-specific protocols mean that placements require more upfront coordination. A locum anaesthetist cannot simply turn up and begin operating-theatre staff need to be briefed, equipment familiarity needs to be established, and the facility's approach to airway management and drug protocols needs to be understood.
ICU placements sit somewhere in the middle. The credentialling process is rigorous, but once a doctor is approved, the clinical environment is relatively standardised across facilities. A CICM-trained intensivist working in a Level 3 ICU will find familiar equipment, protocols, and escalation pathways regardless of location.
Psychiatry locums are increasingly in demand, particularly for involuntary treatment units and consultation-liaison services. The credentialling process includes verification of Section 12 authorisation (where applicable) and often requires reference checks from recent supervisors. Paediatrics and O&G locums face similar credentialling scrutiny, as both specialties involve medico-legal risk that facilities manage through tighter approval processes.
For doctors exploring what makes a good locum doctor, the answer is specialty-dependent. ED locums need to be comfortable with high patient volumes and minimal handover. ICU locums need to adapt quickly to unit-specific protocols. Surgical locums need to establish credibility with theatre teams who may be sceptical of temporary staff.
Administrative and Tax Considerations
The decision to go locum brings administrative obligations that permanent employment does not. Contractors are responsible for managing their own tax, superannuation, and professional development budgets. This is not inherently negative-many doctors prefer the transparency of seeing exactly what they earn and what they owe-but it requires a level of financial literacy that medical training does not provide.
Quarterly BAS lodgement, income tax estimation, and deductible expense tracking become routine. Professional indemnity insurance premiums are fully deductible, as are travel expenses related to placements, accommodation costs, and relevant professional development. Some locums engage accountants who specialise in medical contractor tax, while others manage it themselves using accounting software.
Superannuation contributions are not automatic. Contractors need to make their own contributions, and the 11.5% superannuation guarantee that applies to employees does not apply to contractor arrangements. This is offset by higher gross rates, but it requires discipline to ensure that superannuation is funded at a level that will support retirement planning.
For doctors who go locum full-time, establishing a company structure or family trust may reduce tax liability, particularly if income exceeds the top marginal tax rate threshold. This introduces additional complexity-company tax returns, director responsibilities, and potential audit exposure-but the tax savings can be substantial for high-income specialists.
The Role of Recruitment Agencies
Most doctors who go locum do so through a recruitment agency rather than direct facility engagement. The agency acts as intermediary, managing credentialling, rostering, payment, and compliance verification. The quality of this service varies widely. Some agencies operate transactional booking systems with minimal clinical oversight. Others employ clinicians to oversee credentialling standards and provide pre-placement briefings.
The difference is measurable. Agencies with clinical oversight models reduce the likelihood of mismatches between doctor capability and facility expectation. A registrar placed in a facility beyond their competency level creates risk for the doctor, the facility, and the agency. Agencies that screen for this upfront-by verifying recent practice, checking references, and briefing the doctor on the clinical environment-deliver better outcomes than those that prioritise speed of placement over appropriateness of fit.
Preferred supplier status with state health departments and private hospital groups is one indicator of agency credibility. Procurement panels assess agencies on compliance processes, candidate quality, and responsiveness to facility needs. Agencies that hold preferred supplier status across multiple jurisdictions (NSW, QLD, VIC, ACT, WA, Tasmania, NT Health, Ramsay Health Care, Healthscope) have been independently assessed against procurement criteria that include ISO certification, insurance coverage, and track record.
For doctors evaluating which agency to register with, the questions that matter are: who oversees credentialling, how are placements matched, what support is provided during the placement, and how quickly are invoices processed. Agencies that answer these questions clearly tend to deliver better experiences than those that rely on generic marketing language.
Long-Term Placements and Roster Management
While the phrase "go locum" often conjures images of ad hoc shifts, a significant portion of placements in 2026 are long-term contracts. Facilities needing sustained cover-parental leave, extended sick leave, or gaps while a permanent appointment is filled-source locums for multi-week or multi-month engagements. These placements go through the same credentialling process regardless of duration, ensuring that a doctor covering a six-month parental leave position meets the same standards as one covering a single shift.
Roster management is an emerging service model. Rather than filling individual shifts reactively, some agencies work with facilities to plan ahead, identify gaps, and maintain continuity of cover across departments. This is particularly relevant for hospitals managing complex or ongoing locum requirements. The agency effectively becomes an extension of the facility's medical workforce planning function, coordinating multiple doctors across multiple specialties to ensure rostering gaps are filled before they become critical.
For doctors, long-term placements offer income stability without the commitment of permanent employment. A six-month ICU contract in regional Queensland provides the financial predictability of a salaried role while preserving the flexibility to return to metropolitan practice at the end of the term. For facilities, long-term locums provide continuity of care that ad hoc shifts cannot, particularly in specialties where patient relationships and team familiarity matter.
Practical Steps Before You Go Locum
The decision to go locum is not made overnight. Doctors considering this pathway need to ensure three things are in place before accepting their first placement: current AHPRA registration, adequate medical indemnity insurance, and a clear understanding of tax obligations as a contractor. Beyond these baseline requirements, practical preparation includes compiling credentialling documents (immunisation records, college membership certificates, recent CV), setting up invoicing systems, and identifying geographic preferences.
For those considering locum life, the first placement is often the hardest to secure. Once credentialled with a facility or agency, subsequent placements are faster to confirm. Building relationships with agency consultants who understand your specialty, availability, and preferred locations makes the process more efficient over time.
Financial planning is equally important. Contractors need to set aside funds for tax, superannuation, and professional development. A simple rule of thumb: assume 30–35% of gross income will be owed in tax (depending on total income and deductions), and allocate at least 11.5% to superannuation to match what would have been contributed under an employment arrangement. Professional indemnity insurance premiums vary by specialty-ED and O&G doctors pay more than psychiatrists or paediatricians-but all are fully deductible.
Work-life balance and self-care also require deliberate planning. The flexibility of locum work only delivers if doctors actually use it. Accepting every shift offered because the rate is attractive defeats the purpose of flexible work. The doctors who thrive in locum roles are those who set boundaries around their availability, plan rest periods between placements, and maintain professional development regardless of short-term income pressures.
The shift toward locum work reflects broader changes in how doctors approach clinical careers in 2026. It is no longer a transitional phase or a fallback option-it is a deliberate model that prioritises flexibility, autonomy, and geographic variety over the certainty of permanent employment. If you're ready to explore how locuming might fit your career, Best Practice Medical connects exceptional doctors with extraordinary locum opportunities across Australia, managing credentialling, compliance, and placement logistics so you can focus on clinical practice.