Jane Ferguson, Gemma Stringer, Kieran Walshe, Thomas Allen, Christos Grigoroglou, Darren M Ashcroft, Evangelos Kontopantelis
BACKGROUND: The use of temporary doctors, known as locums, has been common practice for managing staffing shortages and maintaining service delivery internationally. However, there has been little empirical research on the implications of locum working for quality and safety. This study aimed to investigate the implications of locum working for quality and safety. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 130 participants, including locums, patients, permanently employed doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals with governance and recruitment responsibilities for locums across primary and secondary healthcare organisations in the English NHS...
April 16, 2024: BMJ Quality & Safety