About Locum West

Locum West originated in 2019 when our founding Director Dr Dhanvee Kandadai followed his passion of helping junior doctors looking for flexibility, financial security and exponential learning by helping them navigate the WA Health System. Dhanvee worked in locum positions across 5 WA Health Services over several years. He enjoyed his work life balance and decided it was time to help other doctors achieve the same. Throughout his medical career, Dhanvee introduced over 50 doctors to the life of a locum medical officer and helped coordinate their rostering at various sites.

Locum West is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of patients. We are made aware of available positions through contacts in the industry developed through clinical and hospital management work undertaken by our executive team. We fill these positions with skilled doctors ensuring that the roles suit their lifestyle with respect to working hours, facilitate career progression and that they are valued by the health service. Our aim is to have every WA hospital staffed appropriately to be able to deliver quality healthcare to the people of WA.

Locum West initially started with the aim of fully staffing one hospital but we have rapidly expanded in our first year to staff several of Western Australia’s public and private health services. We aim to have contracts with all major tertiary hospitals by the end of 2020 as well all the private hospitals currently staffing junior medical officers.

Locum West works via word of mouth and has expanded to having over 50 locally trained junior doctors currently registered looking for employment. This is a significant testament to our ability to deliver appropriate jobs, provide ongoing support and career development as well as link our doctors with training programs and fellowships. Locum West is the preferred Locum Agency for many junior doctors as well as hospital executives.

Meet the Team?

Dr Dhanvee Kandadai – Founding Director, Partner

FRACMA, MHM, MBBS(UWA), General Medicine Advanced Trainee

Dhanvee graduated from UWA in 2009 after completing his medical degree. He spent 5 years at Royal Perth Hospital completing his basic physician training and exams before pursuing his interest in hospital management. During his training in medical administration, he worked for a year at the Department of Health understanding the medical workforce needs of the state and workforce sustainability. He then worked for 2 years as part of the executive at Princess Margaret Hospital prior to it’s move to Perth Children’s hospital. During this time he was based in the medical workforce unit and in his role asActing Director of Clinical Services, had direct oversight of the medical workforce as well as all the junior medical officers.

To seek further experience with health systems, Dhanvee then moved to the UK where he was Senior Clinical Advisor at the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management. He helped implement a sustainable professional development platform for clinicians looking to develop leadership skills and was part of a small team organising a 1000+ delegate annual conference on leadership. He then moved to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota as a Research Affiliate to understand the American health system where he developed a greater understanding of staff to workload ratios and the role of mentoring to achieve key hospital targets.

He has subsequently moved back to Perth to complete his General Medical training. He continues to be involved in junior doctor accreditation and is an associate member of the RACP WA trainees’ committee.

He is heavily involved in the community. He is the treasurer and part of the executive for WA Indian Docs which is a registered charity helping support doctors of Indian origin across Perth. He is a regular donor for the Red Cross, and will complete his 100th donation in 2020. He tutors and mentors both high school, undergraduate and postgraduate students helping guide them through various stages of their medical career.

Dhanvee hopes to combine his experiences as a clinician and administrator to help hospitals and doctors find each other to maximise the health of WA patients.

Prashan

Dr Prashan Abeywardana – Partner
MBBS(UWA), FRACGP registrar

After completing his MBBS at UWA in 2009 Prashan spent 3 years in Royal Perth Hospital and then 3 years at Fiona Stanley Hospital. He has almost achieved his FRACGP after excelling at his college exams in 2019 at his first attempt. He is currently working in Rockingham as a GP trainee with a special interest in skin cancer surgery.


Throughout his training Prashan has worked in a multitude of medical registrar/resident locum roles including at Peel Health Campus, Rockingham Hospital, Mount Hospital, Graylands Hospital, Joondalup Health Campus, SJOG Midland and stress testing roles across Perth. He enjoys hospital medicine and understands what is entailed in clinical roles across the state.

Prashan has always been interested in teaching and has done so throughout university teaching high school students in maths, the sciences and english literature. Each year he teaches students to pass the medical interviews for university entrance, as well as has taught colleagues in how to pass the FRACGP exams.

Prashan is currently also completing a Masters of Applied Finance at UWA where he is following his other passion in finance with an interest in investments.

FAQ

A locum is a role where a doctor temporarily covers a position, from a single day to a longer period.

  • Experience – Locum shifts allow you to experience numerous different positions and build up broad clinical and procedural skills
  • Freedom – As a locum you have the freedom to pick up any shifts that suit your lifestyle, and vary how much you are working from week to week. Locums are able to easily travel and follow other pursuits. You can work anywhere from one shift a year to full time, the choice is yours.
  • Money – Locum doctors earn a considerably higher hourly rate than the equivalent full time salaried doctor. You will often be working alongside a salaried doctor and thus gaining the same experience, access to teaching and attain procedural skills

There is the requirement for us to obtain adequate documentation to be eligible to work in these roles.  We will provide you with a checklist and help you through the process. We will need:

  • Basic resume with 2 referees
  • 100 points of identification
  • Immunisation screening questionnaire (we can organise any testing)
  • Job preferences form
  • Indemnity insurance
  • Police clearance

Yes, you need to have current and full registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA).

If you are Australian or NZ citizen you will be eligible to work. If not you will need to obtain a visa with rights to work. Applicants without citizenship will need to apply for a VISA to be eligible to work.

Yes, you will need current private medical indemnity insurance. Commonly used WA insurers include MDA National, Avant, MIPS and TEGO. (We have no affiliation with any of these)

Reimbursement for these costs vary by position, but often will be covered if travel is required, especially for rural or remote positions.

No, there is no cost to you for using our service and you will not find a higher pay going through any other method for the role as we do not take any fees out of your payment.

Please send us a query, we are a more than happy to help answer any questions you may have.