self employed locum rates

Re: self employed locum rates

BTCC Fan RVN — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:02:07 GMT

Hello

I did locum last yr for a recruitment agency and as a VCA not a qualified nurse, i was earning £9-£10 so as you are a qualified id say £10 is too low for yourself.

Hope that helps

Re: self employed locum rates

caz vn1 — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:04:52 GMT

We use locums at our practice in central London. genrally the agencies seem to set rate at about £12-13 per hour. Although we would happily pay up to £15 per hour with the right experience.

Re: self employed locum rates

Sal the 1st — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:22:09 GMT

[quote user="Princess Ophelia Hermione MacBeth"]

I would say £10 is on the low side. The lowest I work for now is £12/hr with a range between £12 - £15 (I am outside of London and not home counties). Been in vet nursing since 1998. £10 is the low end of what newly qualified VNs are getting with locum agencies but remember that *some* locum agencies will charge you out at a fixed rate to the employer, so the less of a cut of that rate you take, the more the recruitment consultant gets - so it pays them to 'screw you over' (to a degree - obviously if they take it too far like one notable agency then it backfires) so be careful believing what some of them say! Best rates often go to those who contact practices directly and cut out the middle man

[/quote]

Yes I was offered a 'generous' £8.50 an hour by one agency which I turned down. Co - incidentally a colleague was looking for a locum at their practice around the same time, had registered with a few agencies and had been unable to fill the vacancy. I took the locum job they were offering and they were happy to pay me what they would have paid the agency to fill the locum ie £15p/h only later did I find out it was the same job. There was no way that agency was ever going to fill that vacancy on the rates they were offering

My experience has been that on average agencies are taking @ £3 - £4 p/h as a cut if it helps.

Re: self employed locum rates

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:23:16 GMT

do a search for locum rates will find a lot of posts on it.. l base it on 13/hr weekday more nights weekends you need to take enough to pay your bills and 10-12 wont do it even 13 is low with prices going up.

Re: self employed locum rates

Louise B — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:37:56 GMT

Re: self employed locum rates

Roseann21 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:18:18 GMT

Yes, but don't forget they take their cut too, so you need to know how much the agencies charge the practice, not what they would pay you if you went through the agency.

Re: self employed locum rates

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:16:28 GMT

Why not ask the employment agencies what you'd command as payment if you were on their books as a locum nurse? Bit cheeky if you have to pretend you are interested in signing up with them but, hey, you might!

Good luck with your venture!

Ali h

Re: self employed locum rates

Roseann21 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:14:44 GMT

Is there any way you can find out how much locum agencies charge per hour for nurses? I would have thought as long as you are asking less than that you have the advantage - although you will be recommending yourself rather than having the back-up of an agency.

Re: self employed locum rates

Steph1006 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:20:16 GMT

I am just starting out locuming but am 3 years qualified RVN and more experience before that. Is 10 still the going rate or do you think you can ask for a bit more 11-12 for general practice?

Appreciate any guidance on the topic. Cheers :)

Re: self employed locum rates

mrsspider — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:02:51 GMT

I work as a locum in Dorset and have varing rates for my locum work. When I first started Locuming I asked 10 per hour, I still do some work for my first few locum practices and I still only charge them £10 per hour but now for everything else I ask 12. If it's quite a long drive I also request a mileage allowance to cover my fuel. Sundays and bank holidays I ask 15 per hour and night shifts depend on whether I am sleeping or working through etc Hope that helps a little