The new way to find locum work

Messly’s mission is to support doctors as you seek out a happy and rewarding medical career. Today, we are announcing a new service from Messly to help you find locum work on your terms.

Messly has supported NHS doctors through training since 2016. Over 30,000 of you have used our Training Navigator to read ratings and reviews of training programmes and rotations.

But doctors increasingly want to step off the treadmill of training to try more flexible and rewarding careers. That's most obvious with F2s, where over 70% of you will take an F3 year into 2021.

The challenges of locuming

You told us that stepping away from the certainty and structure of training and ‘going it alone’ feels like jumping into an abyss. The breadth of options is confusing, there are no support structures and you’ll need to figure out so many things for the first time.

The most daunting part of that is finding regular, rewarding and safe work - especially if you plan to locum for all or part of your time outside training.

All the locum agencies claim to have access to the best work at the best rates. You’d like to know who has what work before you register with them, and you’re not sure who will look after your best interests. And you want to manage that process quickly and efficiently as you're busy at work.

Introducing the new way to find locum work

We've brought the best locum agencies together in one place, competing to find you the best locum shifts, so you can find your perfect locum job quickly and easily.

You can see all the relevant work that’s available really quickly and without any hassle. That means you’re more likely to find that perfect locum gig… rather than picking an agency or two at random and hoping for the best!

Here's how it works...

Step 1: Tell us what you want

You set your locum wish list on your anonymous Messly profile. Say exactly what you work you want, where and when - down to start dates, minimum rate, travel distances and more.

It only takes 5 minutes and means you only see specific, targeted locum shifts matched to your needs.

Only recruiters from agencies that are vetted and approved by Messly can see your profile, so you don't need to worry about your colleagues or current hospital coming across it.

Step 2: Receive locum offers from agencies

Agencies contact you through Messly, offering specific locum jobs upfront which are tailored to your locum wishlist. No more vague promises of work that don't materialise!

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

Most doctors will get multiple offers on the day they make their profile.

You manage all your conversations within Messly, and don't share your personal details until you're sure that you want to go ahead. You can turn off your Messly profile any time, and then nobody can contact you.

Step 3: We help you to start work

Your chosen agency will arrange to get you compliant and fix specific shifts for you.

The Messly team are here to support you throughout, helping you arrange convenient times to speak with the agencies and guiding you through the compliance process.

Reviews from doctors

So far we’ve helped over 1,000 doctors, many of them F3s, find the best agency for their needs. Most doctors will get 2-3 messages within a few days of creating their profile, and can then start work from a week or so after that.

We're rated 5* on Trustpilot, and here is some feedback from doctors who’ve already used the service:

“I've only recently signed up to Messly and within this short time I've been sent a number of roles available in my ideal location and specialty. Messly has opened up the doors of opportunities and it has been the easiest process from my side. Thank you!”‍
Dr Rowena D ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“It was very easy to set up a profile on Messly. I was contacted by various agencies very quickly. Each of them was very professional, and efficient, and I was able to find a three month posting I was happy with, within a couple of days. I couldn't be happier!.”
Dr Liz S ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“A really good way to be put in with lots of useful agencies. I found the platform and usability a good experience and the staff were very welcoming.”
Dr Jon E ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Getting started

We are now opening up the service more widely. If you’re considering locum work, click here to create your profile. It takes less than five minutes and of course it’s completely free.

We hope that by making it easier to find work, and 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.

We will soon be adding agencies in Australia and New Zealand to the service, and we hope to work with hospital staff banks directly in the near future too.

We will continue to support the Foundation Year 3 Doctors group on Facebook, and write detailed guides about locuming, F3 years and paths back into training on the Messly Blog.

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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