Pay rates for locums are reportedly skyrocketing, with temporary jobs in ED offering over $4000 a day and weekly pay for GPs rising above $7000 in some cases.

While locum work has always been lucrative in remote areas, recruiters say they are now offering increased rates amid fears of a new wave of doctor shortages resulting from the limited number of IMGs coming into the country.

According to a listing posted online two weeks ago, Geraldton Hospital in WA’s mid-west region is offering a daily rate of $4240 for an emergency medicine consultant in return for signing a 10-day contract.

Listings for general practice jobs elsewhere in the state are also relatively high — with a GP practice in the town of Australind paying $7500 a week for a GP willing to start next Monday.