Archive for July, 2010

Happy to accept direct hospital locums

| July 23, 2010 | 0 Comments
Happy to accept direct hospital locums

PL-UK have been approached by a number of hospital locums who have previously invoiced hospital trusts direct. These placements have usually originated from personal links between an existing member of staff and the pharmacists concerned but they make HR departments very nervous.

These “directly booked” locums very rarely undergo the checks needed to undertake NHS locum work and they can last for several months causing potential problems in terms of employment status.

The NHS PASA framework suppliers have to carry out CRB, occupational health and mandatory training checks on locums and pay them under the terms of the NHS agreement.

PL-UK are happy to undertake this role for locums who have been asked to book via ana agency in future and there is no cost for the locums concerned

The future model for pharmacy in the UK

| July 21, 2010 | 0 Comments
The future model for pharmacy in the UK

PJ Online are running an article about Boots’ move into Sweedish pharmacy via a partnership with Farmacevtföretagarna (thanks goodness for cut and paste).

Each store, which will be marketed under the Boots brand, will be owned and run by what the two organisations are calling “entrepreneur” qualified pharmacists.

This sounds like the perfect model to me. A powerful brand allied with the passion and entrepreneurial zeal of a pharmacists who will be properly rewarded for the work they put in and the difference they make to the health of the local community – utopia!

Seriously this would be fantastic. Pick a multiple franchise, who would you got for?

No pharmacy job. Why not relocate?

| July 20, 2010 | 0 Comments
No pharmacy job. Why not relocate?

We are contacted every day by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from London, Manchester and Birmingham looking for work, both locum and permanent. The honest truth is that it is hard to find.

If you live in one of these area’s think about re-locating. We have regular work in some of the most beautiful parts of the country including the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Moors and even in cities with buses, theatres and nightlife!

If you are fed-up with low rates, bad working conditions and/or monthly financial stress give PL-UK a ring – we’d be delighted to help.

Call 0800 881 8844 for more details

Hospital locum posts

| July 20, 2010 | 0 Comments
Hospital locum posts

We were contacted today by a locum in a hospital trust who said that the trust had decided to finish all locums at the end on the month as part of their cost cutting measures.

The hospital pharmacy concerned is already running at very challenging staffing levels and it came as no shock when we were contacted by a pharmacy technician later in the day who had decided to hand her notice in due to the stress at work.

So does this mean their will be no locum work in hospital pharmacies in the near future? No, but i think it will get worse before it gets better. All trusts have to save money, the highest cost is always staff so the quickest and most effective way of saving money is to cut staff. Locums on temporary contracts are the easiest to cut so as the financial pressures get worse, locum numbers go down.

However, as the locum numbers drop so the number of permanent employees leaving position will rise as the stress levels increase. Trusts won’t fill these vacancies permanently but will look ironically look to plug the gaps with flexible workers i.e. locums!

This all applies to dispensary pharmacists, the trust have no option but to keep hold of specialists pharmacists.

So all you hospital locum out there, fear not! You time is coming…again!

Newly qualified pharmacists welcome!

| July 20, 2010 | 0 Comments
Newly qualified pharmacists welcome!

It gives me a warm feeling when the newly qualified pharmacists start contact PL-UK after hearing that they’ve passed their pre-reg exam. After five years of hard work and a pre-reg they are looking for either locum work or a permanent job and PL-UK are delighted to help.

Having been in the same position myself albeit 17 years ago, (we were the first year to do a pre-reg exam) I know how daunting it came be but Linda, Lynne and myself are here to help you find jobs to build your confidence and start reaping the rewards of all your hard work.

Call 0800 8818844 from a landline or 0333 123 3344 from a mobile for a chat about how we can help