When No One Accepts Your Dental Locum Booking Request
⚡ Quick answer The most common cause is sending to too few locums, or using filters that are too restrictive. Practices that send to 30+ locums achieve a 92% fill rate. If your shift is still unfilled: widen your filters, resend, and contact support via live chat — the team responds in under 2 minutes. |
An unanswered booking request doesn't mean the shift can't be filled — it almost always means the request didn't reach enough locums. This guide explains why it happens, how to fix it immediately, and what Airlocum's automated systems do in the background to help.
The Numbers
92% fill rate when 30+ locums contacted | <15 min average fill time for well-configured requests | 94% of automated rebookings successfully find cover |
Why Booking Requests Go Unanswered
There are two main causes — both are fixable:
Cause | What to do | |
1 | Too few locums contacted | Send to 30+ locums simultaneously. If 40+ appear in your search results, send to all of them. |
2 | Filters too restrictive | Remove non-essential price, distance, and skills filters. Apply only what is genuinely required for the shift. |
How to Adjust Your Filters
Each filter reduces the number of locums who receive your request. For urgent shifts, the fewer restrictions the better.
Filter | Planned shifts | ⚠️ Urgent / unfilled shifts |
📍 Distance | Set a comfortable travel radius. | Expand as wide as possible. Locums are willing to travel for well-paid shifts. |
💷 Price | Apply your usual budget cap. | Remove or raise the cap. A slightly higher rate dramatically expands your pool. |
🎓 Skills | Apply when a qualification is genuinely required. | Remove unless the skill is a clinical necessity for this specific shift. |
❤️ Favourites | Use 'My Favourites First' for quality control. | Consider removing — the auto-widen to a broader pool already happens after 15 minutes. |
💡 The golden rule for urgent shifts Start with no filters — or only the one filter that is genuinely non-negotiable. Check how many locums appear in your unfiltered results before applying anything. If 40+ locums appear, send to all of them in a single request. |
What Airlocum Does Automatically — The Rebooking System
If no locum accepts your initial request within 2 hours, Airlocum's automated rebooking system activates. It resends your request to a wider locum pool — using the same filters you originally applied. You do not need to take any action.
• 94% of rebookings successfully find coverage.
• The rebooking uses your original filter settings — so broader initial filters mean broader rebooking reach.
• If you also have an accepted locum who cancels, the rebooking system activates immediately to find a replacement.
• You will receive SMS and email updates throughout.
⚠️ Don't send a second manual booking request If you send a fresh booking request while a booking for the same shift is pending, both may be accepted by different locums — creating a double booking. If you're concerned a shift won't be filled, contact the support team via live chat instead of sending a new request manually. |
Step-by-Step: What to Do If Your Shift Is Still Unfilled
Step 1 — Resend with wider settings
1. Expand your travel distance radius. 2. Remove or increase the maximum hourly rate. 3. Remove non-essential skills filters. 4. Send to all available locums in your results — not just a handful. |
Step 2 — Try Quick Book
For urgent needs, Quick Book sends your request to the most reliable, available locums first — in accelerated waves. It is the fastest route to confirmation for same-day and short-notice shifts.
Step 3 — Contact the support team
The Airlocum support team responds in under 2 minutes via live chat. They can:
• Check why your request wasn't accepted and identify the likely cause.
• Suggest filter adjustments based on locum availability in your specific area.
• Help you optimise your booking strategy for future shifts.
• Manually assist with urgent same-day cover if needed.
📞 Need urgent help right now? Open the live chat on the Airlocum website or app and ask to speak to a person. The support team is available during business hours and responds in under 2 minutes. For genuine emergencies outside hours, leave a message and the team will respond as quickly as possible. |
Common Mistakes That Lead to Unfilled Shifts
Mistake | What to do instead | |
❌ | Sending to only 3–5 locums when 30+ are available | Send to all available locums, or at minimum 30+ |
❌ | Stacking multiple filters on an urgent shift | Apply only the one filter that is clinically non-negotiable |
❌ | Sending a second manual request while the rebooking is pending | Contact support instead — they can help without risk of double booking |
❌ | Giving up after one failed attempt | Widen filters, resend, and contact support — 92% of shifts get filled |
Tips to Prevent Unfilled Shifts in Future
• Book as early as possible. Planning ahead gives locums more time to confirm. Same-day cover is possible, but earlier requests have higher fill rates.
• Build a Favourites list of 15–30 locums. Your pre-approved pool gets your request first, with automatic widening if needed. Consistent quality without sacrificing speed.
• Use Quick Book for all short-notice shifts. It contacts the most reliable, closest locums in fast waves — designed specifically for urgent cover.
• Be flexible on start and end times where possible. Shifts with rigid or unusual times are harder to fill, particularly for same-day requests.
• Use broad initial filters with the rebooking system. Broader first-send filters mean the automated rebooking also reaches a wider pool if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did no locum accept my booking request?
The most common cause is that too few locums received the request, or the filters applied were too restrictive for your area. Practices that send to 30 or more locums simultaneously achieve a 92% fill rate. Check your filter settings and resend to a wider pool.
What should I do if my dental locum shift is still unfilled after sending a request?
First, resend with broader filters — expand your distance radius, remove or raise the price cap, and drop non-essential skills filters. Then try Quick Book for urgent cover. If the shift remains unfilled, contact the Airlocum support team via live chat. The team responds in under 2 minutes and can check availability in your area directly.
How long before Airlocum automatically tries to rebook my shift?
If no locum accepts your initial request within 2 hours, Airlocum's automated rebooking system activates and resends your request. The system uses the same filters you originally applied. You do not need to take any action — but broader initial filters give the rebooking a larger pool to work with.
Can I send another booking request manually while waiting for the rebooking?
While waiting, the automated rebooking system is working in the background. If you're concerned a shift won't be filled, contact support via live chat — they can check availability in your area and help directly.
What is Quick Book and when should I use it?
Quick Book is Airlocum's AI-powered booking method that automatically sends your request to the most reliable, closest locums first, in fast accelerated waves. It is the recommended method for all same-day, urgent, and last-minute dental locum cover.
Is it normal for a dental locum shift to go unfilled?
Occasional unfilled requests do happen — particularly for very short notice shifts, in areas with lower locum density, or when restrictive filters are applied. However, 92% of shifts are filled when practices send to 30 or more locums. If you are regularly experiencing unfilled shifts, contact the support team to review your booking strategy.
Related Articles
• Top Tips for Booking Dental Locums on Airlocum
• How to Search, Book, and Send a Booking Request
• How to Use Search Filters to Find the Right Locum
• Automated Rebookings: How They Work and How to Control Them
• How to Build and Use Your Favourites List
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Last updated: March 2026 | Category: For Practices — Managing Bookings