Unclaimed Shifts – How It Works
ℹ️ At a glance Unclaimed Shifts is a section in your Airlocum profile where you can browse shifts that have not yet been filled. Only around 2% of shifts appear here — 98% are accepted within 15 minutes of a practice posting them. Shifts that remain unfilled after 60 minutes move into Unclaimed Shifts. It is worth a regular check, but should not be your primary strategy for finding work. |
Why So Few Shifts Appear Here
Airlocum’s booking wave system is fast. When a practice posts a shift, notifications go out immediately to matched locums — and 98% of shifts are accepted within 15 minutes. Only the remaining 2% — shifts that have gone 60 minutes without being accepted — move into the Unclaimed Shifts section.
This means Unclaimed Shifts will sometimes be empty, especially in busier areas where demand is high and locums respond quickly. That’s not a bug — it means the platform is working.
How to Use Unclaimed Shifts
# | Step | What to do |
1 | Go to Unclaimed Shifts | Open your Airlocum profile and navigate to the Unclaimed Shifts section. |
2 | Browse available shifts | View shifts available in your area. Tap View Details on any shift to see the full information — pay rate, location, start and finish times. |
3 | Express interest | If the shift suits you, tap I’ll cover this. The practice is notified immediately. |
4 | Wait for confirmation | The practice reviews your expression of interest. If they confirm, you will receive an SMS and email confirming the booking. Note: tapping ‘I’ll cover this’ is not an instant confirmation — the practice still needs to accept. |
⚡ Act fast if you see a shift you want Shifts in Unclaimed Shifts may still be available to other locums. If you see one that suits you, express interest immediately — the practice will book the first locum they are happy with. If you are unsure whether a shift is still available, the Airlocum support team can contact the practice directly to check on your behalf. Reach them via live chat at airlocum.co.uk. |
Related Articles
• How You’ll Know You Have a Booking Request
• How the Booking Wave System Works
• When Will I Start Receiving Bookings?
Last updated: March 2026 | Category: For Locums — Finding Work
