Locum GP
Low £350.00Typical £450.00High £700.00
Rate benchmark
Locum GP rates in the UK, 2026
£450.00typical per session
Indicative pay ranges for UK locum GPs in the 2026/27 tax year. What’s typical, what drives variance, and how to benchmark your own rate against the market.
Ledger | Indicative 2026 range
Low, typical, and high.
A "session" in general practice is typically a four-hour clinical block. Sessional's reference rate is around £100 per hour, which equates to £400 per session before any uplifts; it is our own figure from the rates our users record and the regional benchmark, and the BMA does not recommend rates for self-employed locums. Typical real-world rates sit at £350 to £550 per session for ordinary daytime cover. Rates run higher in London, the South East and shortage areas. Out-of-hours, UCC and on-call work commonly pays £500 to £700+ per session, and short-notice cover or weekend / public-holiday work can clear £800. Visiting and home-visit rounds are usually priced separately. Most agency rates within NHS commissioning are inside IR35 since 2017, so the headline figure may be paid through umbrella or PAYE rather than as gross self-employed income.
| Rangeper session | LowIndicative | TypicalIndicative | HighIndicative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative 2026 range (per session) | £350.00 | £450.00 | £700.00 |
Indicative 2026 range (per session)
Every figure on this page, including the ranges in the text above, is Sessional's own estimate and not a survey result. In forming them we looked at: Sessional reference rate (September 2026); Pulse Today locum rate surveys 2024 to 2025; Locumate.com / Lantum rate-card aggregates; Published rate sheets from large GP federations and PCNs. We do not link to them because several are for members only or change often, so treat the ranges as a guide and check current adverts. Real rates vary by individual contract and market conditions. Sessional doesn't guarantee any specific rate and your individual outcome depends on your negotiation and the organisations you work with. Figures last reviewed .
01 | Market context
05Rate driversWhat drives the variance
For GPs specifically, out-of-hours and unplanned cover swing hardest: routine daytime sessions cluster near Sessional's reference rate, while OOH, UCC and short-notice work often clear £500 to £800 or more.
Geography: London and the South East usually pay above the rest of the country, and rates elsewhere follow local demand.
Urgency: last-minute cover pays more. Organisations covering a sudden gap often pay noticeably above their standard rate.
Specialty: out-of-hours, unplanned care, specialist wards, and complex caseload all uplift the base rate.
Volume: regular weekly bookings are usually offered at a lower rate than ad-hoc shifts in exchange for certainty.
Route to market: direct bookings pay more than agency routes because no one takes a cut.
02 | Your ledger
04Benchmarking stepsHow to benchmark your own rate
Write down the last ten bookings you accepted and the rate you charged or received.
Break them down by region, urgency, and duration.
Compare each against the typical range above. If you are consistently at or below the low end on standard bookings, you are probably underpriced.
Next time you are asked for your rate on a standard booking in a London or South East organisation, quote the typical figure from the headline above and see what happens. A refusal tells you about the booking, not your rate.
03 | Questions
04Short answersLocum GP rates: common questions
How much do locum GPs earn per session in 2026?
Indicative 2026 rates for UK locum GPs run from £350.00 to £700.00 per session, with £450.00 typical. These are Sessional's own estimates, not survey results. In forming them we looked at: Sessional reference rate (September 2026); Pulse Today locum rate surveys 2024 to 2025; Locumate.com / Lantum rate-card aggregates; Published rate sheets from large GP federations and PCNs. Real rates vary by contract, region and notice, so check current adverts before you quote.
What counts as a session, and what is that per hour?
A "session" in general practice is typically a four-hour clinical block. Sessional's reference rate is around £100 per hour, which equates to £400 per session before any uplifts; it is our own figure from the rates our users record and the regional benchmark, and the BMA does not recommend rates for self-employed locums.
What makes rates for locum GPs higher or lower?
For GPs specifically, out-of-hours and unplanned cover swing hardest: routine daytime sessions cluster near Sessional's reference rate, while OOH, UCC and short-notice work often clear £500 to £800 or more.
Does Sessional set or guarantee these rates?
No. The figures are indicative, and your rate depends on your negotiation and the organisations you work with. Sessional records the rates you actually charge so you can compare them with this range.
04 | 34 cities
Look up your city
01Locum GP in London02Locum GP in Manchester03Locum GP in Birmingham04Locum GP in Leeds05Locum GP in Liverpool06Locum GP in Sheffield07Locum GP in Bristol08Locum GP in Newcastle09Locum GP in Nottingham10Locum GP in Leicester11Locum GP in Coventry12Locum GP in Bradford13Locum GP in Southampton14Locum GP in Portsmouth15Locum GP in Brighton16Locum GP in Reading17Locum GP in Oxford18Locum GP in Cambridge19Locum GP in Norwich20Locum GP in Milton Keynes21Locum GP in York22Locum GP in Plymouth23Locum GP in Derby24Locum GP in Stoke-on-Trent25Locum GP in Hull26Locum GP in Sunderland27Locum GP in Glasgow28Locum GP in Edinburgh29Locum GP in Aberdeen30Locum GP in Dundee31Locum GP in Cardiff32Locum GP in Swansea33Locum GP in Newport34Locum GP in Belfast
Figures last reviewed 24 April 2026
Run your locum work like a business. Minus the accountant.
Keeps the records, does the sums. Filing and advice stay with you and your accountant.
Log every booking in Sessional and keep the rate you actually agreed against each one. Basic is free with no card; earnings by organisation and by month come with the reporting on Pro.