Guides · Updated 13 October 2026

How to invoice as a locum. What has to be on it.

If you are a self-employed locum and the workplace pays you directly, you are paid when you send an invoice. Here is what it needs to say.

Hands typing on a laptop with a stethoscope on the desk

What every invoice must include

These come from the government's rules on invoicing.

A unique identification number.
Your name, address and contact details.
The name and address of the business you are invoicing.
A clear description of what you are charging for.
The date the work was done.
The date of the invoice.
The amount being charged, and the total owed.
VAT, only if you are VAT registered.

If you are a sole trader

Your invoice must show your own name and any business name you trade under. If you use a business name, it must also give an address where legal documents can be delivered to you.

What a workplace expects on a locum invoice

Each session on its own line: the date, the hours and the rate.
Your professional registration number.
Your bank details.
Your payment terms and the date payment is due.
Anything agreed on top of the fee, such as mileage.

Example: What a finished invoice looks like

Invoice number: INV-0042
From: Your name, address and registration number
Billed to: The workplace, with its address
Sessions: 10 to 14 August 2026. Five sessions, 09:00 to 17:00, 8 hours at £28.00
Total: £1,120.00
Pay to: Your bank, sort code and account number
Terms: 14 days. Due 28 August 2026

An example with made-up details, in the layout Locbase produces.

When to send it

Send it the day you finish. The payment period starts when the invoice arrives, so every day you wait is a day added to the wait for your money. If you have worked a run of sessions for the same workplace, put them on one invoice.

Keep a copy of every invoice. Self-employed records have to be kept for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline for that tax year.

Numbering your invoices

Each invoice needs its own number, and no number should be used twice. A simple running sequence is enough. Start wherever you like and keep going, so the numbers also tell you if one is missing.

Who to send it to

Ask at the time of booking where invoices go. Larger employers often have a central accounts address and will not act on an invoice sent to the branch. Keep that address with the workplace so you only ask once.

If it is queried

Check it against your record of the session: the date, the hours and the rate you agreed. If the invoice was wrong, send a corrected one with a new number that refers to the old one, so there is a clear trail. If it was right, reply with the booking details.

Mileage and other extras

Only add travel or other costs if they were agreed with the booking. Show them on their own line so the session fee is easy to check.

Where Locbase fits

In Locbase the invoice is made from the session you already logged. Pick one session or a run of them and it becomes a PDF with the number, the dates, the hours, the rate and your details on it, emailed from your phone. Locbase then shows it as sent, paid or overdue.

Questions

Do I need to charge VAT as a locum?

Only if you are VAT registered. If you are not, your invoice should not show VAT. Ask your accountant if you are unsure whether you need to register.

Can I put several sessions on one invoice?

Yes. One invoice can cover a run of sessions for the same workplace, with each session on its own line.

What payment terms should a locum use?

Whatever you agree with the workplace. Fourteen and thirty days are both common. Put the due date on the invoice as a date.

Do I need to invoice if an agency pays me?

Often not. Many agencies pay from a timesheet or raise the paperwork themselves. Ask the agency before your first booking.