A day in the life of a locum Intensive Care doctor

Dr David Silley is an Intensive Care doctor and Medrecruit locum. We caught up with him to get a glimpse into a day in the life of an ICU locum doctor.

“Working in intensive care, it is quite long shifts, we work 12-13 hour days. When I go off to do my locum shifts, I try to fit in as many as I can.”

When you are working as a locum “you turn up, and are put up in accommodation next to the hospital,” explained David.

“Then you go into the hospital where you are straight into the wards, but thankfully, the medicine in Intensive Care is the same wherever you go, so it is pretty easy to just kind of get into the swing of things.”

David finds that what makes his locum shifts easier is that “often the type of people working in Intensive Care are very laid back and very friendly.”

David’s last locum placement with Medrecruit was at Waikato Hospital on the North Island. “Waikato Hospital is great! It is quite a big hospital, and they’ve got all the specialties which is good exposure to different things, and the team was really friendly.”

One of the stand-out things for David was the team. “Everyone was really helpful the whole time, and I never felt like I couldn’t ask someone what to do.”

David, who previously spent six months working as a doctor on an antarctic base likes mixing career with adventure. Locum work appeals to him because he visits new hospitals and new locations.

“It is always nice going to new places. Waikato was quite a tropical place. I had 28 degrees most days, and getting some good sun was nice.”

“New Zealand really is quite a special place having so many landscapes and climates in such close proximity. You can drive one hour and be in a rainforest, then drive an hour and be up in 3000-metre peaks, and then drive an hour and be in some tropical beaches.”

Originally from the UK, David observes that there are many similarities between the places but “ I think the dramatics of the landscape is very different.”

From a work perspective, David likes that Kiwis “are quite laid back, which is nice. It allows you to find that work-life balance that I was after.”

If you want to know more about Dr David Silley's story, watch the video:

The demand for ICU doctors in Australia and New Zealand remains consistently high due to the important nature of their roles in healthcare systems. With both countries facing challenges like an aging population, increased chronic illnesses, and the aftermath of COVID-19, the need for skilled intensive care professionals is more pronounced than ever. Hospitals and healthcare services in urban, rural, and remote areas are actively seeking ICU locum doctors to manage acute patient care, handle complex medical technologies, and provide leadership in critical care teams. This demand is reflected in competitive salaries and opportunities for professional growth and specialisation.