Self Isolating As A Locum Optometrist – Terrific Activities

Covid-19 or Coronavirus, it’s all we seem to be hearing about in the headlines lately. As the epidemic worsens many of us are being urged to work from home, but for locum optometrist that isn’t realistic so more and more locum shifts are simply being cancelled.

It’s important that during this time we all pay close attention to the government guidelines around self isolating/ social distancing and take appropriate action if necessary.

So what can locum optometrist do if they have taken the steps to either self isolate or social distance?

Check you have sent us your latest indemnity insurance certificate

For the majority of locum optometrists your insurance will run from January to December. Whilst it’s unlikely that you’ve let this lapse, there is a chance you simply haven’t sent your new indemnity insurance certificate over to us yet.

Without a copy of your indemnity insurance we won’t be able to book you in for locum shifts, so take a couple of minutes whilst you’re self isolating to ensure you have sent us your updated copy. That way we know you are covered when you are ready to take on locum work again.

If you’re not sure if you’ve sent us your latest insurance certificate yet don’t worry, simply drop it over to us at [email protected] and we will make sure your profile is updated.

Check you have completed your renewal for the the GOC register

It is very unlikely that you haven’t already paid to renew your registration on the GOC register, but it does happen. If you do not complete your application to renew your registration and pay the renewal fee by 31^st of March you will be removed from the GOC register and in turn the NHS National Ophthalmic Performer’s List. I’s very important that you keep on top of this, so why not take some time out while you are social distancing to ensure your renewal is complete and paid for?

If you pay monthly for your registration via direct debit, just double check everything in still in place so that there are no problems with that.

Remember that your GOC registration will expire at the end of this month if you do not complete your renewal.

Rack up those CET and CDP Points

As an optometrist in the UK you will need to earn a certain amount of CET points every three years to ensure you stay on the GOC register. For this cycle the amount of points optometrists need to earn is 36, but luckily a number of training sessions can be taken online from the comfort of your own home. As a healthcare professional your days are usually busy so it makes sense to get the most out of your time social distancing and start racking those CET points if you haven’t already.

You can find more information on the GOC website.

Alongside earning CET point you should also ensure you’re earning CDP points too.

Update your availability

If you are choosing to either self isolate or social distance yourself during the Coronavirus outbreak it’s worth marking yourself as unavailable for this period on your Team Locum calendar. This way our team will know that you are not available for locum work during this time.

Join a locum agency

If you haven’t already, now would be the perfect time to sign up with a locum agency. Sometimes signing up with a new locum agency can take a little while, especially if they are finding it hard to contact your references. At Team Locum we always recommend registering with a locum agency well before you plan to take on work. As your period of self isolation or social distancing may go on for longer than you anticipate now would be a great time to sign up.

You can join the Team Locum family here.

Start the job hunt

If locum life isn’t your thing why not start the hunt for a new permanent role? You’ll have time to jazz up your CV and start applying for new jobs. Job applications can be a time consuming thing but if you’re social distancing it’s likely that you won’t have much else to do anyway!

If you’re not really sure where to start, give our team a call on 0121 451 2707. They will be able to give you a hand with hunting for your dream job!

And once you have completed the above you can sit back and relax, after all you’ve done everything you can to ensure you are ready to get straight back out to work once you have finished self isolating or social distancing.