Frequently Asked Questions for Practices

Airlocum is a UK marketplace for booking temporary dental professionals — nurses, dentists, hygienists, therapists and receptionists. Instead of phoning an agency and waiting, you post your shift and verified locums in your area see it instantly. You choose who you want based on their profile, ratings, reviews and hourly rate, and most shifts are filled within 1 to 15 minutes. There are no subscriptions or sign-up fees, and you only pay after the shift is completed and you have approved the timesheet.  Learn more: how Airlocum works for practices.

Yes. Creating a practice account is completely free. There are no monthly subscriptions, no sign-up fees, and no minimum commitments. You only pay when a shift is successfully completed and you've approved the locum's timesheet.

Go to airlocum.co.uk and click Sign Up, then select Practice. Enter your name, mobile number and email, add your practice name and address, and add a payment method. Registration takes under two minutes and you can send booking requests straight away — there is no approval or verification step for practices.  Learn more: how to sign up your practice.

Most shifts in well-supplied areas are filled within 1 to 15 minutes. When you send a request, it goes to multiple suitable locums at once, and the first to accept secures the booking. For urgent cover, Quick Book sends your request to the best-matched available locums automatically.  Learn more: how the booking wave system works.

Airlocum operates across the UK, with the strongest locum supply in London, the South East and other major cities, and coverage is growing continuously. The best way to check availability in your area is to register, which is free, and run a search for the role and date you need.

Hospital dental departments and community dental services in areas where Airlocum has active locum coverage - London, the South East and major English cities - can book GDC-verified, DBS-checked locum dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and dentists through the platform in the same way practices do.

No. And Airlocum has no subscriptions or minimum commitments. Practices and Corporates register free and pay a service fee of around £29 per day for dental nurses only when a shift is filled.

Yes. Hospital dental departments and community dental services in areas where Airlocum has active coverage - London, the South East and major English cities - can book GDC-verified, DBS-checked locum dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and dentists through the platform in the same way practices do. Airlocum works with both NHS and private settings.

When you post a shift, Airlocum sends it to suitable locums in waves, prioritising those who are closest, most reliable and highest rated. Locums accept on a first-come basis, and the moment one accepts, the shift is confirmed and closes to others. You can also send to your Favourites first.  Learn more: how to search, book and send a request.

Your Favourites list is a group of locums you have worked with and want to prioritise. With the “My Favourites First” option, your request goes to your favourites before anyone else; if none accept within 15 minutes, it expands automatically to the wider locum pool, so you are never left waiting.  Learn more: how to build and use your Favourites list.

First, widen your reach: send to more locums, relax any tight filters, and check that your offered rate is competitive for the area. The platform also automatically re-sends unfilled requests to other suitable locums. If you still need cover, our support team can help by live chat at airlocum.co.uk or on 07716 580305.  Learn more: what happens when no locum accepts.

Yes. You see each locum's profile, photo, verified qualifications, star rating, reliability score and reviews from other practices before anyone is confirmed. You stay in full control of who works at your practice.  Learn more: how to use search filters.

Yes. You can add any locum to your Blocklist, and they will no longer appear in your search results or receive your booking requests. Corporate groups can share blocklists across all their sites.  Learn more: how to use the Blocklist.

The fastest way to book a dental locum in the UK is through a marketplace platform rather than a phone-based agency. On Airlocum, 60% of shifts are filled in under 5 minutes because requests are broadcast instantly to all matching verified locums, with the first to accept confirmed automatically.

Airlocum charges a flat service fee of £3 per hour (plus VAT) for nurses and receptionists, or 10% of the hourly rate for dentists, hygienists and therapists. For a typical nurse shift that works out at around £25 a day. Traditional agencies typically charge £60 to £80 per placement, so most practices save a significant amount on every booking, with no hidden fees.  Learn more: what Airlocum charges.

No. There are no subscriptions, sign-up fees, finder's fees or minimum commitments. The hourly rate shown on the platform is the total you pay, and you are only charged for shifts that are completed and approved.

You are only charged after the locum's shift is completed and you have approved their timesheet. You have a 24-hour window to review each timesheet, and if you take no action within that time, payment processes automatically. You are never charged before a shift takes place.  Learn more: how payment works.

There are two options: pay by card or pay by invoice. Card payments are handled securely by Stripe and are charged automatically once you approve the timesheet. Invoicing can be activated in under two minutes, after a quick credit check, and is payable within 14 days.  Learn more: payment options for practices.

For legal and accounting clarity, the cost is split into the locum's invoice, paid to the self-employed locum, and Airlocum's invoice, which is our service fee plus VAT. Added together they equal exactly the rate quoted on the platform, so there is nothing extra to pay. This separation reflects that locums are independent professionals, not your employees.  Learn more: why you see two invoices.

A dental locum's cost has two parts: the locum's own hourly rate, which they set, VAT, and the booking fee charged by the agency or platform. On a marketplace platform like Airlocum the fee is flat and shown upfront - £3 per hour plus VAT for nurses and receptionists, working out at around £29 for a typical day - whereas a traditional agency usually bundles a 20-30% markup into a single rate that is not broken out. TOn Airlocum the locum's hourly rate varies by role: roughly £19-£29 per hour all-in for nurses, £35-£55 per hour for hygienists and therapists and £67-£120 per hour for dentists.

For most short-notice and routine cover it is, because a platform charges a flat, visible fee instead of a percentage markup hidden inside the rate. On Airlocum you see exactly what the locum earns and exactly what the platform charges, with no joining fee, no subscription and no markup. The bigger saving is often invisible: a platform that fills the shift fast avoids the cost of an empty chair.
 

If a locum withdraws, Airlocum immediately re-sends the shift to other suitable locums to find replacement cover, and our team can step in for urgent cases. Locums who cancel late or fail to attend incur fees and can be suspended, and every withdrawal lowers their reliability score, which is why reliable locums protect it carefully.  Learn more: our no-show policy.

Every locum has a reliability score that starts at 100% and drops by 10% each time they withdraw from an accepted shift. Locums must keep their score at or above 80% to stay active, and a no-show triggers a fee plus suspension. Reliability and ratings directly affect how early a locum is notified of your requests.  Learn more: our reliability standards.

Yes, you can cancel from the Bookings section of your account. If you cancel close to the shift start time a fee may apply, because the locum may have arranged travel, childcare or parking and turned down other work. Cancelling with more notice avoids charges.  Learn more: how to cancel a booking.

Yes. Every locum's GDC registration is verified automatically and re-checked every 28 days, so anyone appearing in your search results holds current registration. Locums also provide indemnity insurance, Hepatitis B immunisation, a DBS certificate, CPR and Safeguarding Level 2 documentation at registration.  Learn more: how GDC verification works.

After each shift you answer five quick questions about the locum: punctuality, professionalism, attitude, value, and whether you would book them again. Locums who score top marks earn a 5-star rating shown on their profile, and answering yes to “would you have them back?” adds them to your Favourites. This keeps quality high and helps you rebook your best locums.  Learn more: how to rate and review a locum.

Yes. Add locums you rate to your Favourites list and prioritise them for future shifts using “My Favourites First”. Building a reliable bench of trusted locums is the single best way to get fast, consistent cover.  Learn more: top tips for booking locums.

Yes. Airlocum is used by corporate groups including PortmanDentex and Riverdale Healthcare. Multi-site managers can switch between locations from one account, share Favourites and Blocklists group-wide, and set group-wide rate controls for cost discipline across every practice.  Learn more: signing up a corporate group.

Yes. Corporate head office can set a group-wide maximum hourly rate that applies across all their practices, giving central cost control while individual sites still book independently. A reporting dashboard provides real-time visibility of locum usage and spend.  Learn more: group-wide rate controls.

Yes. You can add additional practice locations and switch between them using the account switcher, without needing separate logins.  Learn more: how to add another practice location.

Support is available by live chat at airlocum.co.uk, by phone or text on 07716 580305, and by email at [email protected]. Our team typically responds within a couple of minutes during working hours.  Learn more: how to contact Airlocum.