“You can work out your own routine, your own schedule, and your own timetable”

Before I became a locum, I was working...

As an optometrist-manager in an independent practice. Then I had my daughter – she’s almost five – and started locuming when she was about one and a half.

When I started as a locum, I wish I had known…

The importance of being more mindful and responsible for everything that you do, in terms of patients, referrals, and so on.

When you’re in practice, you kind of take it for granted, because you’re always there. It’s just about taking more accountability, if you don’t know whether you’re going to be back in that same practice again – so wrapping up, and finishing all the work that you need to do. I’ve definitely learned that you’ve got to be more organised if you’re working in different places.

I made the decision to become a locum...

To have more flexibility to work the days, hours and months that I want to work, to suit my daughter’s lifestyle and childcare. Also, just having a different day each day.

On my first day of locuming...

I was very nervous, because it was a different computer system altogether. So, I had to obviously learn how to use that. The nerves were there, but I was excited as well, just to meet new people and be in a different location. I remember my first day very well.

My biggest locum challenge is…

Being cancelled at the last minute. Last minute cancellation can be a little bit difficult, because it’s quite hard to then fill those days. You’re not getting a regular income; you’re only getting work paid for the days that you work.

As a locum, I’ve adapted my days by…

Once you have a relationship with the practice manager or the team, you can work the hours that you can do, rather than being in practice from 9am until 6pm and that’s it. You can work out your own routine, your own schedule, and your own timetable. So yes, I definitely have adapted my days. I do end up finishing earlier everywhere that I work, which is obviously agreed in advance, and it’s much easier for me.

I do end up finishing earlier everywhere that I work, which is obviously agreed in advance, and it’s much easier for me

Practices can make life easier for locums by…

It would be really nice, if a locum was coming in for the first time, to compile a little bullet-point sheet on where the nearest hospitals are, where you would refer to, and if there are any specific pathways in that area, just in case. It’s just more information around referrals, where to refer, who to, and how.

One change I’ve seen whilst working as a locum is…

I feel like it has become more fast-paced. I don’t know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think with the introduction of optical coherence tomography and all the different machines, things are done for you pretty quickly. You’re working at a faster pace. I come from a very independent, slow paced, 45-minute testing environment, so you’ve got to learn to keep up a bit and be prepared for that.

My favourite thing about being a locum is…

The flexibility of working when you want to, and not working when you don’t want to, without having to request holiday.

My advice for new locums is...

Make sure you’ve been qualified for some time before you go into locuming, because it can be quite daunting for a newly qualified optometrist. My solid advice would be to make sure you’ve worked in a practice for, I would say, at least two or three years before you start thinking about locuming. You need to be a little bit more well-rounded as an optometrist before going into the locuming world, because you’ll come across everything and anything.

My last word on locuming is...

Do it if you want ease and flexibility in your life.