Getting paid on time and with the minimum fuss is essential when you are a locum doctor. My role at Prescript Recruitment is to make sure you can concentrate on your locum position and take away any burden with pay administration.

There are four main options when it comes to being paid as a doctor:

1. Paid by the health service directly - on their payroll

2. Paid by the health service directly - via invoice

3. Paid by Prescript’s payroll provider

4. Paid by Prescript directly - via invoice

To some extent, our health service clients (health districts, hospitals and clinics) dictate what process they require when it comes to paying you.

Talk to us when confirming a locum placement and will make sure you have all the information upfront.

Paid by the health service directly - on their payroll

1. Health Service - PAYROLL - What to expect

✓ Your hourly or daily rate will be confirmed in advance by Prescript in your Locum Booking Confirmation

✓ Your rate will be confirmed if it is plus super or inclusive

✓ We will confirm the payment process / weekly rhythm with you

✓ Typically you will complete a weekly time-sheet (electronically or sometimes paper-based)

✓ Have the timesheet approved by a Consultant, HoD or Med Admin

✓ Submit online and/or send a copy to me: timesheets@prescript.com.au

ℹ️ Most health services have a pay schedule frequency - I will let you know when to expect to be paid.

ℹ️ If your payment is delayed, I will follow up on your behalf.

ℹ️ Super will be paid to your nominated fund

Paid by the health service directly - via invoice

2. health service - INVOICE - WHAT to expect

✓ Your hourly or daily rate will be confirmed in advance by Prescript in your Locum Booking Confirmation

✓ We will ask you about your current business structure - company, trust, partnership, sole trader?

✓ We will check it meets the health service requirements ℹ️ please note that most health services prefer to receive invoices if your business structure is a Company (Pty Ltd) or in some instances a Trust

✓ You may need to provide evidence of your business insurance for the health service to review in advance e.g. Public and Products Liability (in your business structure name) + Professional Indemnity Insurance + Workers compensation insurance or Income protection

✓ If requested, I can share invoice templates that can be used, plus we offer the service of drafting your invoices before sending them to the health service

✓ Timesheets may be required to accompany your invoices, again Prescript will confirm the process / weekly rhythm with you in advance.

✓ Any tax or super payments are your responsibility (see point below about Sole Trader invoices)

✓ Emails for invoices & timesheets: finance@prescript.com.au

ℹ️ Prescript cannot advise which business structure you should choose, but we can share the health service requirements. We recommend you talk to your tax, business or legal adviser.

ℹ️ Prescript cannot provide business insurance advice, but we can share the health service requirements. Typically, we see the following requested:

Public and Products Liability
• for at least $20,000,000 for each individual claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence
• public & product liability insurances are issued in the name of your business structure, not in your personal name.
• Must be purchased by the business (or contractor) and the business must advise who is working in the practice and the nature of the healthcare provided

Professional Indemnity Insurance
• for at least $10,000,000, for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence
• provided to individuals (will be in your name as a doctor)

Workers compensation insurance or Income protection
• (this may be included in your standard medical indemnity coverage)

ℹ️ Some health services will accept invoices from a Sole Trader. There can be tax and super obligations for the health service when you invoice as a sole trader – for example, you may be an employee for superannuation guarantee purposes. This means your daily rate will include super and be witheld.

Paid by Prescript’s payroll provider

3. PRESCRIPT’S PAYROLL SERVICE - WHAT to expect

✓ Your hourly or daily rate details (and whether the super is inclusive or exclusive),  will be confirmed in advance by Prescript

✓ Payment will be via one of Prescript’s official payroll partners

✓ Salary packaging options available

✓ They are experts in paying doctors

✓ Insurances provided: Public and Products Liability, Professional Indemnity Insurance and Workers compensation insurance          

✓ We, along with our payroll partners, will guide you through the process / rhythm of being paid correctly and promptly.

✓ Typically you will complete a weekly timesheet and have it approved by a Consultant, HoD or Med Admin

✓ Please email your timesheet to timesheets@prescript.com.au by Tuesday at 10 am to be paid by Friday

Paid by Prescript directly - via invoice

4.INVOICE to prescript - WHAT to expect

✓ Your hourly or daily rate will be confirmed in advance by Prescript in your Locum Booking Confirmation

✓ The rate will be + GST

✓ Any tax or super payments are your responsibility.

✓ I will confirm the process / weekly rhythm with you in advance

✓ I will ask you about your current business structure

✓ Please note that only a Company - Pty Ltd or a Trust can invoice Prescript directly

✓ You will need to provide evidence of business insurance: Public and Products Liability (in your business structure name) + Professional Indemnity Insurance + Workers compensation insurance or Income protection

✓ If requested, we can share an invoice template that can be used, plus we offer an invoice drafting service before sending them to you for review

✓ Timesheets may be required to accompany your invoices, again Prescript will confirm the process / weekly rhythm with you in advance.

✓ Emails for invoices & timesheets: finance@prescript.com.au

ℹ️ Prescript will need to receive copies of the following insurance:

Public and Products Liability
• for at least $20,000,000 for each individual claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence
• public & product liability insurances are issued in the name of your business structure, not in your personal name.
• Must be purchased by the business (or contractor) and the business must advise who is working in the practice and the nature of the healthcare provided

Professional Indemnity Insurance
• for at least $10,000,000, for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence
• provided to individuals (will be in your name as a doctor)

Workers compensation insurance or Income protection
• (this may be included in your standard medical indemnity coverage)

ℹ️ Prescript does not pay invoices from business structures that are Sole Trader, Partnership or some Trusts. If this is applicable to you, you can choose instead to use our payroll partner.

The above is not an exhaustive list, for example, we have not gone through VMoney for NSW Health VMOs. The best thing to do is to talk to your Prescript Recruitment Partner or me about the payment options for your locum position. We are here to help.

FAQ

Please note: Prescript cannot provide any financial advice, or advice on business structure, insurances, tax or super.

FAQ - WHAT INSURANCES DO I NEED?

We always recommend that you obtain your own advice about appropriate medical indemnity cover from an insurance provider.

If you are using a business structure for invoicing a health service (or Prescript) directly, you may be asked to provide evidence of Public and Products Liability + Professional Indemnity Insurance + Workers compensation insurance or Income protection. Again, get advice so you have the right protection in place.

FAQ - CAN I INVOICE AS A SOLE TRADER?

Prescript cannot provide any advice on a business structure. We can pass on the requirements of health services we work with, and many prefer to deal only with a Company - Pty Ltd or a Trust. This means for locum positions at those clients, invoicing as a sole trader is not an option.

Some health services will accept invoices from a Sole Trader (this is becoming less available). There can be tax and super obligations for the health service when you invoice as a sole trader – for example, you may be an employee for superannuation guarantee purposes. This means your daily or hourly rate may be inclusive of super.

FAQ - I AM VISITING FROM OVERSEAS - DO I NEED AN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS STRUCTURE?

If you are working in Australia for no more than 183 days // 6 months of any given 12 month period you will most likely be able to invoice using your overseas registered business.

Insurance coverage will need to be confirmed in accordance with the health service you are providing the service to.

An example is that sometimes Australian/NZ trained doctors living overseas decide to do a one-off locum. They can fill in a “Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN” form from the ATO, and this means you can locum with less of a bureaucratic burden.

Temporary ABN waivers need to be approved by health services in advance (ask first!) and you may need to provide an accompanying letter from your accountant saying you are meeting your tax obligations in your country of residence.

About Hugo Scales

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Prescript's Finance and Payments Manager and work with the team, our health services and doctors to ensure invoicing, billing, and financial administration runs effectively for all parties involved.

I ensure doctors are paid correctly and promptly, always happy to answer your questions and talk through the variety of different payment methods available. I also maintain a close working relationship with our valued clients and guarantee smooth processes are in place with their various procedures and requirements for settling accounts.

Relationships and rapport are not just a healthy way of doing life; they are critical to my functionality in making what we provide, and those we provide it to, rewarding and sustaining!

I wasn't always in finance! I went from Year 12, and too many school theatre productions at the expense of grades, into four years of theatre arts study. This dream of being a jobbing actor, if not a hugely successful superstar, guaranteed me intimate knowledge and skills in the world of waitering, bartending and odd jobs for the next ten years. Oh, and some acting gigs just to keep me hungry, literally and creatively. This career did get me to the USA, where I ultimately transferred to behind the scenes as a Film Production Coordinator in Los Angeles.

Returning to the relatively normal world of Sydney 10 years later, I became involved in finance, sales and bookkeeping. Small, more personal concierge services like Prescript Recruitment suit me by far the most.

So I bring some of the personality traits of what was a semi-public life into the areas of work I now inhabit. I believe my open, or not too guarded, demeanour instils trust and confidence in most folks I deal with.

I look forward to working the Prescript magic for the many doctors, hospitals and clinics I have yet to meet and help!

There are three ways to contact Hugo:

1. Call Hugo on 1300 755 498

2. Email hugo@prescript.com.au

3. Click to ‘Connect with Prescript’

At Prescript we’re known for helping solve the regional doctor shortage in Australia.

Every day we’re focused on two clear outcomes - Helping hospitals find doctors that create departments and clinics that run better, have more capacity and less stress. And placing Doctors in jobs that leave them feeling highly valued, rewarded and, most importantly, enjoying what they do.

We believe that when we get these two crucial things right, it has a huge impact on the regional doctor shortage and the healthcare of communities across Australia.

There are three ways to contact us:

1. Call 1300 755 498

2. Email contact@prescript.com.au

3. Click 'Connect with Prescript'

We’d love to hear from you!