Locum GP toolkit 2026: essential apps, AI tools, and resources for UK locums

Key takeaways

Being a locum GP means running a clinical practice and a small business at the same time. The right toolkit dramatically reduces the administrative overhead and lets you focus on patient care.
This guide covers six workflow categories: finding work, admin and finance, clinical reference, AI scribes, CPD and learning, and IT setup — with specific tool recommendations for each.
Lantum is the UK's leading digital platform for finding GP locum shifts, with direct practice connections, pensionable sessions, and remote consultation options.
Locum Organiser and My Locum Manager are the two dominant admin platforms for invoicing, pension forms (Locum A/B/SOLO), expense tracking, and tax preparation.
iatroX is the essential clinical reference tool for locums — free, MHRA-registered, and accessible without any institutional login or NHS OpenAthens account. When you are in an unfamiliar practice with unfamiliar patients, having instant, guideline-grounded answers on your phone is not a luxury; it is a safety net.
For CPD, locums must be self-directed. Tools like iatroX Quiz, Praktiki, and RCGP eLearning (for members) provide the structure that locums lack from an employing organisation.

Why locums need a different toolkit

Salaried and partner GPs benefit from organisational infrastructure: the practice handles their rota, their appraisal is coordinated by the partnership, their IT is managed by the practice manager, and their clinical systems are always the same. They see the same patients, know the local pathways, and have colleagues to ask when they are unsure.

Locum GPs have none of this. Every shift can be at a different practice, with a different clinical system (EMIS or SystmOne), different local formularies, different referral pathways, and different patient populations. The locum must be clinically adaptable, administratively self-sufficient, and financially organised — all while delivering safe, high-quality patient care to people they have never met before.

The toolkit below is designed to solve each of these challenges with the best available tools in 2026.

1. Finding work: shift platforms

Lantum

What it is: The UK's leading digital staffing platform for primary care. Lantum connects locum GPs directly with practices and PCN hubs to fill rota gaps — no agency required.

Key features:

Search and book face-to-face and remote consultation shifts
Compliance document storage (DBS, passport, CV) in one place
Direct messaging with practice managers
Integrated with LocumOrganiser for seamless diary management
Sessions are pensionable under the NHS pension scheme (for sole traders)
Remote consultations available via GPintheCloud virtual desktop (EMIS/SystmOne access)

Cost: Free for clinicians.

Why it matters for locums: Lantum removes the agency middleman, which means you keep more of your rate and build direct relationships with practices. The compliance document storage is particularly valuable — instead of emailing your DBS and CV to every new practice, Lantum holds them centrally.

Tip: Set up your Lantum profile with detailed preferences (geography, session types, clinical interests) and enable notifications. The best shifts go fast.

My Locum Manager (Agilio Software)

What it is: A GP-specific platform that combines shift booking with a full admin toolkit (invoicing, pension forms, expenses, tax). It also operates as a flexible staff bank provider for ICBs and PCNs.

Cost: Subscription-based (pricing via Agilio Software). Free trial available.

Best for: GPs who want a single platform for both finding work and managing the admin that follows.

Nightingale App

What it is: A free online marketplace that connects locum GPs directly with GP federations, out-of-hours services, and primary care providers — nationwide, with no agency involvement.

Cost: Free for clinicians.

Best for: GPs looking for out-of-hours and federation-based locum work specifically, particularly those who want to avoid agency fees entirely.

Other platforms worth knowing

BMA Sessional GPs website: Resources, contract templates, and guidance specifically for sessional GPs.
NHS Jobs: For longer-term locum posts and fixed-term contracts.
Local Facebook/WhatsApp groups: Many regions have active locum GP groups where shifts are posted informally. Ask your local LMC or GP trainer for access.

2. Admin and finance: invoicing, pensions, and tax

This is where most new locums feel most overwhelmed. As a self-employed GP, you are responsible for invoicing every practice, completing NHS pension forms (Locum A and Locum B, or SOLO forms), tracking expenses, and preparing for your annual tax return. The tools below automate the vast majority of this.

Locum Organiser

What it is: The longest-established locum admin platform. Used by thousands of UK GP locums for diary management, invoicing, pension form generation (Locum A, B, and SOLO — all versions), expense tracking, and financial reporting.

Key features:

Add sessions to a calendar; invoices and pension forms generate automatically
Integrated with Lantum (apply for shifts directly from your LO diary)
Track invoices (sent, paid, overdue) and expenses
Financial summaries for tax returns
Compliance document storage

Cost: £15.99/month (tax deductible). Free 3-month trial, no credit card required.

Why it matters: Locum Organiser turns what used to be hours of admin into minutes. The pension form automation alone is worth the subscription — Locum A and B forms are notoriously time-consuming to complete manually.

PennyPerfect

What it is: An alternative to Locum Organiser, focused on scheduling, invoicing, and NHS pension form automation.

Cost: Subscription-based.

Best for: GPs who prefer a different interface or who want to compare options. Both PennyPerfect and Locum Organiser solve the same problem; the choice is largely one of personal preference.

Accountants and financial advice

Medics Money: A trusted hub for UK doctors' financial education. Their podcast and articles cover tax, pensions, contracts, and the business side of locum life. Not an AI tool, but essential reading for any locum.
Specialist medical accountants: As a self-employed GP, you will almost certainly benefit from a specialist medical accountant who understands NHS pensions, tax-deductible expenses for locums, and the specific financial landscape of portfolio GP careers. Locum Organiser and My Locum Manager both provide accountant referral services.

3. Clinical reference: staying safe in unfamiliar settings

This is the category where locum GPs are most vulnerable — and where the right tool makes the biggest difference to patient safety.

When you arrive at a new practice for a single session, you do not know the patients, the local formulary preferences, the specific referral pathways, or the practice's clinical protocols. You need a clinical reference tool that gives you trustworthy, UK-guideline-grounded answers instantly, on any device, without requiring an institutional login.

iatroX

iatroX is, in our view, the single most important clinical tool for locum GPs. Here is why:

Free: No subscription, no institutional login, no NHS OpenAthens required. This matters for locums, who may not have consistent access to Trust-funded resources.
MHRA-registered: UKCA-marked Class I medical device — a level of regulatory assurance that generic AI chatbots do not offer.
UK-guideline-grounded: Every answer is rooted in NICE, CKS, SIGN, BNF and other trusted UK sources. When you are unsure about the first-line treatment for a condition you see rarely, iatroX gives you the current, cited answer in seconds.
Ask iatroX: Natural language clinical Q&A. "What is the NICE-recommended step-up for adult asthma?" → instant, referenced answer.
Brainstorm: AI-assisted differential diagnosis and clinical reasoning. When a patient presents with something you are not sure about, Brainstorm helps you think through the possibilities systematically.
iatroX Knowledge Centre (iKC): A curated front door to UK clinical guidelines — navigate directly to the right NICE, CKS, or BNF page without Googling.
Available on web, iOS, and Android: Works on your phone between patients. No desktop installation required.

The locum-specific use case: You are covering a morning surgery at a practice you have never visited. A patient presents with a condition you last managed two years ago. You have 10 minutes. You open iatroX on your phone, ask the question, get the current NICE-recommended management plan with citations, and proceed with confidence. This is not about replacing your clinical knowledge — it is about having a reliable safety net when you are working outside your comfort zone.

NICE CKS

The gold standard for UK primary care evidence summaries. Free, open access, and comprehensive. Use alongside iatroX — CKS for detailed topic reading, iatroX for rapid Q&A.

BNF (via NICE or app)

Essential for prescribing, interactions, and contraindications. Available free online via NICE. The BNF app is useful for offline access.

GPnotebook

A concise, bullet-pointed clinical reference. Useful for quick look-ups. Free tier available.

4. AI scribes: documentation in unfamiliar practices

Documentation is a particular challenge for locums. You are using someone else's templates, someone else's clinical system, and someone else's coding preferences. AI scribes can dramatically reduce the time spent on notes and letters.

Heidi Health

The most widely adopted AI scribe among UK GPs. Heidi captures the consultation conversation, generates structured clinical notes, and allows extensive template customisation. The free tier offers unlimited basic notes; the Pro plan ($99/month) unlocks custom templates, "Ask Heidi" transcript queries, and advanced document generation.

Locum-specific consideration: Heidi works via a browser or mobile app — no practice-specific installation required. You can use it on your personal device. However, check the practice's policy on AI scribes before your first session, and always obtain patient consent per NHS England guidance.

New: Heidi has recently launched Heidi Remote (a dedicated wearable device) and Heidi Evidence (a clinical reference layer with NICE/BMJ partnerships).

Accurx Scribe (powered by Tandem)

If the practice uses Accurx (which 98% of UK GP practices do), the Accurx Scribe may already be available via the Accurx toolbar. It integrates directly into the practice's existing workflow and offers EMIS/SystmOne write-back. As a locum, you may be able to use it without any personal setup — ask the practice manager.

Tortus

A UK-based AI assistant that has been piloted in NHS settings. Tortus is more commonly used in secondary care but has GP applications. It operates as an "agent" that can navigate the EHR on your behalf, rather than just generating text.

Important note for locums: Always check the practice's policy on AI scribes before your first session. Some practices have formal governance frameworks; others have not yet addressed it. If in doubt, do not use an AI scribe — take notes the traditional way and raise the question with the practice manager.

5. CPD and learning: staying sharp without organisational support

Locum GPs have the same revalidation requirements as salaried and partner GPs but lack the organisational CPD infrastructure. No practice pays for your courses, no appraisal lead curates your learning, and no study leave budget covers your time off. You are entirely self-directed.

For a comprehensive guide to every free CPD resource, see our separate article: Free CPD for UK doctors 2026: complete guide to RCGP, RCP, BMJ, and AI-powered options.

The locum-specific highlights:

iatroX Quiz and CPD reflection

iatroX Quiz provides adaptive, curriculum-mapped question banks for MRCGP AKT, UKMLA, MRCP, and other exams. For locums, the Quiz is not just exam prep — it is a daily knowledge-maintenance tool. Five questions over a coffee between sessions keeps your clinical knowledge sharp through spaced repetition.

iatroX also allows you to log clinical queries as CPD, write reflections, and export clean PDFs for your appraisal portfolio — turning your daily clinical questions into evidenced CPD without separate admin time.

RCGP eLearning and One Day Essentials

If you are an RCGP member, you have access to 120+ hours/year of free CPD via One Day Essentials conferences (live and REWIND recordings), Essential Knowledge Updates, and the full eLearning suite. This is the single richest source of free, accredited GP CPD in the UK.

Praktiki

A free mobile app that delivers daily, bite-sized clinical updates. Perfect for the "morning commute" learning pattern. Particularly useful for locums who want to stay current without committing to full eLearning modules.

GP appraisal tools

Locum GPs need to manage their own appraisal portfolio. The main platforms are FourteenFish, Clarity (Agilio), and MAG. Choose the one your Responsible Officer / designated body recommends. All three allow you to upload CPD evidence, write reflections, and manage your revalidation cycle.

6. IT setup: HSCN access, clinical systems, and compliance

This is the most operationally painful part of locum life — and the most overlooked.

The HSCN problem

To access NHS clinical systems (EMIS, SystmOne) remotely, you need a connection to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN, formerly N3). In practice, this means either:

Using the practice's own hardware: You arrive, log in to their computer with your smartcard, and use their HSCN connection. This is the simplest option for face-to-face sessions.
Bringing your own device with an HSCN token: For remote sessions (and increasingly for flexibility), some locums use their own laptop with a leased HSCN token. Providers like Izolink and Locum GP Support offer managed laptop packages that include the device, EMIS/SystmOne pre-installed, HSCN token, smartcard reader, antivirus, encryption, and DSPT compliance — typically for £50–£100/month.
Using a virtual desktop: Platforms like GPintheCloud (used by Lantum for remote sessions) provide a virtual desktop with EMIS/SystmOne access, removing the need for your own HSCN setup.

Smartcard

Your NHS smartcard is your identity and access credential for clinical systems. Keep it safe, keep it current, and know how to reset your PIN if it locks (contact the Registration Authority at your designated body).

DSPT (Data Security and Protection Toolkit)

As a self-employed GP handling patient data, you are a data controller and may need to complete the DSPT. The requirements for individual locums are lighter than for organisations, but you should check the current guidance on the NHS Digital website. Your HSCN provider (Izolink, Locum GP Support, etc.) can help you meet the technical requirements.

The locum GP daily workflow: putting it all together

Here is what a well-toolkitted locum GP's day looks like in 2026:

Night before: Check Lantum for tomorrow's session details. Review the practice address, parking, and any special instructions. Charge your Heidi Remote or ensure the Heidi app is ready on your phone.

Morning: Arrive at the practice. Log in with your smartcard. Open iatroX on your phone or second screen — your clinical safety net for the day.

During surgery: See patients. Use Ask iatroX between consultations for any clinical queries. If the practice permits, use Heidi or Accurx Scribe for documentation (with patient consent). If not, document the traditional way.

After surgery: Complete your clinical notes. Open Locum Organiser or My Locum Manager → the invoice for today's session generates in four clicks. The Locum A/B pension form auto-populates. Submit both.

Evening: Spend 5 minutes on iatroX Quiz (5 MRCGP AKT-style questions with spaced repetition). If you encountered an interesting case today, log the clinical question as a CPD reflection in iatroX — exportable PDF for your appraisal portfolio.

Monthly: Review your financial dashboard in Locum Organiser (total earnings, outstanding invoices, expenses). Check your RCGP eLearning for any new One Day Essentials recordings.

Annually: Export your iatroX CPD log, compile your appraisal portfolio in FourteenFish/Clarity, and meet your appraiser with a clean, evidence-rich portfolio that was generated naturally through your daily workflow.

The summary table

Category	Tool	Cost	Best for
Finding work	Lantum	Free	UK's largest GP locum marketplace
	My Locum Manager	Subscription	Combined shift booking + admin
	Nightingale	Free	OOH and federation work
Admin & finance	Locum Organiser	£15.99/month	Invoicing, pension forms, expenses, tax
	PennyPerfect	Subscription	Invoicing and pension automation
	Medics Money	Free content	Financial education for doctors
Clinical reference	iatroX	Free	AI clinical Q&A, brainstorm, guidelines (no login needed)
	NICE CKS	Free	Authoritative UK primary care summaries
	BNF	Free	Prescribing reference
AI scribes	Heidi Health	Free tier / $99mo Pro	Consultation notes and letters
	Accurx Scribe	Via practice	Integrated into Accurx toolbar
CPD & learning	iatroX Quiz	Free	Adaptive AKT/MRCP revision + CPD logging
	RCGP eLearning	Free (members)	120+ hours/year accredited CPD
	Praktiki	Free	Daily microlearning
IT setup	Izolink / Locum GP Support	~£50–100/month	Managed laptop + HSCN + DSPT
	GPintheCloud	Via Lantum	Virtual desktop for remote sessions
Appraisal	FourteenFish / Clarity / MAG	Varies	Portfolio management for revalidation