The new way to find locum work

At Messly, we’ve heard a common story time after time from doctors going into locum work: when looking for work, they joined an agency at random and hoped for the best… and didn’t end up having the experience that they wanted.

We thought there has to be a better way, and so in 2020 we launched Messly’s locum finding service for doctors. It’s the new way to find locum work, quickly and easily on your terms.


We've brought together the most reputable locum agencies, who get regular access to the best shifts, and we make them pitch to you based on why they're the best agency to meet your needs. We also get them to offer you real work before you’ve shared your contact details.

By giving you access to the best locum agencies in one place, without giving up your personal data, we’re ensuring you’re picking up the best work for you, whether you care most about the location, pay, or working environment.

How it Works

1️⃣   Step 1: Tell us what you want

You use Messly to create your profile, which says exactly what kind of work you're looking for. This includes very specific information:

    ✅ What specialties you can work in

    ✅ Whether you want ad hoc or longer term work


    ✅ What rotas you’d be happy with


    ✅ How far you’re prepared to travel


    ✅ Your minimum rates


It only takes five minutes, and at this point it’s still anonymous. It’s designed to be done on your phone without needing any documents to hand.

2️⃣   Step 2: Receive locum offers from agencies

The locum agencies on Messly review your profile, and pitch you with the work they have relevant to your specific needs. Since they know they're competing with other agencies, they put their best foot forward.

You’ll see messages from them come through your Messly account. Most doctors will get multiple offers on the day they make their profile.

We force them to mention real, live jobs they're recruiting for, including the department, rota, start dates, and rates. You’ll know who has what work before you register with them. No more vague promises of work that doesn't materialise!

We know you only want to work with the best-rated and most trustworthy agencies. Based on doctor feedback, we’ve picked 10 of the best agencies, who can give you access to over 80% of the NHS's agency locum work.

3️⃣   Step 3: We help you to start work

If you like what you see, share your details with them and arrange to speak. They'll then give you more info and you can proceed if you’re keen. Your chosen agency will arrange to get you compliant and fix specific shifts for you.

If not, you can reject their message and they won't be able to contact you again. They won’t have seen your full name or any contact details.

The Messly team is here to support you throughout, helping you arrange convenient times to speak with the agencies and guiding you through the compliance process. If you're no longer looking, just turn your profile off and come back later when it suits you.

Feedback from Doctors

We’re proud to be rated 5* on TrustPilot, with doctors saying really kind things about how we’ve helped them.

Here are some examples of the feedback we’ve received from doctors:

👉   Pedro, an ID Consultant: Very quick and intuitive setup and great around the clock online support. It made the whole process of finding a job much easier and quick. I definitely recommend it.

👉   Louisa, an SHO from Cardiff: Really easy website to work. Easy to set up a profile and great to have multiple agencies contact you with appropriate work. Got an exciting job opportunity within 24 hours of signing up.

👉   Lee, a Registrar from Leeds: Messly helped me to connect with multiple locum agencies. It was very easy to use and I found work that matched my preferences quite quickly - I was able to see what roles were coming up and show my interest to the agencies.

Getting Started

We’re now opening up the service more widely. If you’re considering locum work, click here to create your profile.

You'll be able to find the best locum work for your circumstances. Whether that’s better rates, work closer to home, or work in your chosen specialty. If you need to start working really soon, you can find work fast.

You will avoid dealing with time-wasting agencies that don’t have the work they claim to. And you won’t have to work in a job that isn’t quite right because it’s all you could get. This way, we hope that you’ll feel more fulfilled in your work and more financially secure.

By putting control in your hands, we'll encourage doctors that are unhappy or unfulfilled in training to work more flexibly and continue delivering care in the NHS.

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This article is part of a wider series, supporting doctors like yourself with a comprehensive set of guides to ensure your F3 year is a success. These guides cover everything from initial planning, options for moving abroad, help with finding work, and tips for making the most of the experience. Click here to visit our F3 Resource Hub to explore the full list of guides and articles.

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