We highly recommend an allotted time of at
least one hour to be given at beginning of the placement in order to ensure a
sufficient handover is completed.
The principal doctor or a nominated
representative from the practice must be present to meet and greet the locum on
arrival, show them to their place of accommodation and provide a comprehensive
orientation.
Clinical handover
A person-to-person handover occurs before the
locum commences in the practice. It is expected that the practice will provide
the locum with a comprehensive list of:
- In-patients
- Patients requiring special medication
- Notes regarding patients of particular concern
- List of medical specialists (for referral purposes)
- List of health professionals (for referral purposes)
- How to organise pathology/X-ray
- Use of equipment e.g. pager, login for PC etc
- Patient records: How and where maintained/accessed?
- What is the patient billing: Bulk Billing or Private?
- Other information necessary to enable the locum to adequately carry out duties
Practice information
- What is the practice culture? (Any Indigenous members)
- What
services are provided? ie: hospital out-patients/aged care
- Is there hospital,
ambulance services, and palliative care services?
- Usual hours for
consultations?
- Average patient load per day?
- Patient demographics?
- Any
allied health support available within practice?
- Expected availability for
telephone calls?
- Introduction to health team/staff members
On-Call
- On-call
practice required (home visits, after hours)
- All on-call, after hours and weekend duties will be negotiated between RWAV and
the practice prior to your locum commencement
- On-call hospital frequency including an on call
roster
VMO requirements
- Ensure visiting medical rights for the locum to attend
the local rural health facility and that all credentialing paperwork has been
completed and submitted and approved
- Provide details for all hospital
obligations as appropriate
- Any weekend requirements?
- Are additional routine
clinical obligations present? eg nursing home rounds
Accommodation
The
practice is required to organise appropriate accommodation for the locum which
meets the following criteria:
- Suitable for a locum and family if required
- Self-contained, fully furnished with kitchen facilities (shared facilities are
not suitable)
- Fully serviced with linen and towels provided and be in a good hygienic
condition
- Within reasonable proximity to the surgery (or transport
provided)
- Be available for the entire duration of the locum placement. It is not
acceptable for the locum to relocate to alternative accommodation at any time
during the term of the assignment
- List of emergency and domestic contact
numbers provided e.g. electrician, plumber, vet
- Written instructions for use of household items eg air conditioning, security system, garbage disposal, garbage
pick-up times
- Name and after hours contact number for emergencies for house
and/or practice
- Additional domestic requests (if accommodation is the GP's
private residence)
- Animal care requested? (see below)
- Garden or plant
maintenance requested? (please give details)
- Other requirements
- If the locum
accommodation offered does not meet his or her requirements, then negotiations
may be made with the practice to find suitable alternative accommodation
- If
the locum chooses to travel between the practice and their principal place of
residence the locum will be responsible for all travel costs incurred
As locums
generally arrive in town after most retail outlets have closed, practices are
encouraged to provide a small portion of basic items for the locum at their
accommodation (eg toilet paper, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, bread, butter, jam
etc).
In circumstances where the rural GP's private residence is offered to
accommodate the locum, domestic/farm animals and pets belonging to the GP
must not become the responsibility of the locum unless prior agreement is reached. Arrangements for re-housing
domestic animals and pets, and the care of farm animals must be made prior to
the principal doctor’s departure. Equally, the rural GP must not be expected to
accommodate a locum’s animals or pets.
Town information
The practice shall provide the locum with:
- A map of the town
- Details of emergency services (eg police; hospital, ambulance, fire brigade)
- Domestic details such as business trading hours
- Location of banks, supermarkets, cafes, hotels and other retail outlets
- Information relating to council facilities (such as
refuse collection etc), churches, social clubs
- Local tourist attractions/information