Cancellation policy for locums
As an Airlocum professional, you are part of a community of experienced, reliable, and professional individuals. Practices and patients depend on you, so maintaining high attendance standards is essential.
Attendance Expectations
If you apply for and are selected for a shift, you are committing to work it.
Cancelling last-minute or failing to attend negatively impacts practices and prevents other locums from taking that opportunity.
Proper Withdrawal Procedure
If you must cancel:
Go to the Bookings section.
Select the shift you cannot attend.
Click Cancel Booking and submit your reason.
⚠️ Do not cancel by text, call, or email alone — cancellations must be made via the platform.
No-Show Definition
A no-show occurs when you:
Fail to attend without cancelling through the platform.
Provide less than 2 hours’ notice before the shift start time.
Consequence: Immediate account deactivation. £50 no-show fee. Airlocum and the practice cannot secure a replacement in under 2 hours.
Reliability Score
Your Reliability Score tracks your attendance:
Each withdrawal <24hr before the shift is due to start = –10%.
Minimum to stay active = 80%.
Calculated from your last 10 accepted shifts (recent history only).
Cancellations made more than 24 hours before the shift do not affect your reliability score. Only cancellations under 24 hours reduce your reliability score by 10%.
A no-show (including cancelling under 2 hours before the shift) counts as an under-24-hour cancellation for your score, plus the no-show fee and possible suspension.
A higher score puts you in earlier notification waves, so you see booking requests before other locums.
Bottom line: Cancel only when absolutely necessary, follow the correct process, and give as much notice as possible. Reliability builds trust — and trust leads to more work.