Talk of the Week

Locum vs Permanent Therapists:

Which Hiring Model Is Right for Your Organisation?

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By Pacific Rehab Group

Healthcare organisations today face increasing challenges in maintaining a stable and responsive allied health workforce. Rising service demand, evolving patient needs, staff shortages, and budget considerations mean that workforce planning has become more important than ever.

One of the most common questions we receive from healthcare providers is:

"Should we hire a permanent therapist, or engage a locum therapist?"

The answer is rarely one-size-fits-all. Both hiring models offer distinct advantages depending on your organisation's operational needs, service objectives, and workforce strategy.

In this article, we explore the differences between locum and permanent therapists, the benefits of each model, and practical considerations to help healthcare leaders make informed staffing decisions.

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Understanding the Two Hiring Models

Permanent Therapists

Permanent therapists are employed on a long-term basis and become an integral part of the organisation. They typically participate in clinical services, multidisciplinary collaboration, quality improvement initiatives, staff development, and organisational planning.

Permanent staff are well suited for organisations seeking continuity, long-term programme development, and sustained patient relationships.

Locum Therapists

Locum therapists are experienced allied health professionals engaged for a defined period or specific service need. Assignments may range from a few days to several months depending on operational requirements.

Locum support is particularly valuable during periods of increased demand, staff leave, recruitment gaps, or when specialised expertise is required.

When Does a Permanent Hire Make Sense?

Permanent recruitment is often the preferred solution when organisations require:

• Long-term service continuity

• Stable multidisciplinary teams

• Programme development and innovation

• Leadership succession planning

• Ongoing patient caseload management

Permanent therapists contribute not only to patient care but also to organisational culture, mentorship, quality improvement projects, and service expansion.

For organizations anticipating sustained growth, investing in permanent staff often provides the strongest long-term return.

When Is a Locum Therapist the Better Choice?

Locum therapists provide flexibility that many healthcare organisations increasingly rely upon.

Situations where locum support is particularly beneficial include:

Covering Planned Leave

Annual leave, maternity leave, study leave, and long-service leave can create temporary workforce gaps. Locum therapists help maintain uninterrupted patient services during these periods.

Managing Recruitment Delays

Finding experienced allied health professionals can take several months.

Rather than reducing services while recruitment is underway, organisations can maintain productivity through interim locum support.

Responding to Increased Demand

Seasonal fluctuations, new programmes, or higher-than-expected referrals may temporarily increase workload.

Locum therapists allow organisations to scale services quickly without committing to permanent headcount.

Accessing Specialist Expertise

Some services require therapists with niche experience in areas such as:

• Dementia care

• Community rehabilitation

• Neurological rehabilitation

• Hand therapy

• Seating and wheelchair assessment

• Pediatrics Rehabilitation

  
  

Engaging specialist locum therapists allows organizations to meet clinical needs efficiently without maintaining full-time specialist positions.

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Comparing the Two Models

Considerations	Permanent Therapist	Locum Therapist
Long-term workforce stability	Excellent	Limited
Flexibility	Moderate	Excellent
Recruitment lead time	Longer	Typically faster
Service continuity	High	Suitable for planned assignments
Workforce scalability	Moderate	High
Programme development	Excellent	Limited
Immediate staffing needs	Less suitable	Highly suitable

Neither model is inherently better. The optimal approach depends on the organisation's operational objectives.

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Why Many Organisations Adopt a Hybrid Workforce

Increasingly, healthcare providers are combining permanent and locum staffing to build a more resilient workforce.

A hybrid approach allows organisations to:

• Maintain a stable core team of permanent therapists

• Scale services during peak demand

• Cover planned and unplanned absences

• Access specialist expertise when required

• Reduce disruption during recruitment periods

Rather than viewing locum and permanent staffing as competing options, they can be complementary components of an effective workforce strategy.

Key Questions Before Making a Hiring Decision

Healthcare leaders may wish to consider:

• Is the staffing need temporary or ongoing?

• How urgently does the position need to be filled?

• Is specialised expertise required?

• What are the anticipated patient volumes?

• Will this role contribute to long-term programme development?

• What impact would an unfilled vacancy have on patient care?

Answering these questions often clarifies which hiring model—or combination of models—is most appropriate.

The Pacific Rehab Group Approach

At Pacific Rehab Group, we believe workforce solutions should align with each organisation's clinical goals, operational priorities, and patient needs.

Whether supporting a healthcare provider with a permanent recruitment search or providing experienced locum therapists for immediate service continuity, our focus remains the same: connecting organisations with qualified allied health professionals who can make a meaningful impact.

Every workforce challenge is different. By understanding each organisation's objectives, service model, and clinical requirements, we help develop practical staffing solutions that support both operational efficiency and quality patient care.

Conclusion

There is no universal answer to the question of locum versus permanent therapists.

Permanent therapists provide continuity, organisational knowledge, and long-term capability. Locum therapists offer flexibility, responsiveness, and access to specialised expertise when organisations need it most.

For many healthcare providers, the strongest workforce strategy is not choosing one over the other—but thoughtfully integrating both.

As Singapore's healthcare landscape continues to evolve, organisations that embrace flexible workforce planning will be better positioned to maintain service continuity, respond to changing demands, and continue delivering high-quality patient care.

About Pacific Rehab Group

Pacific Rehab Group is a Singapore-based allied health organisation providing recruitment, locum staffing, clinical consultancy, continuing professional education (CPE), and workforce solutions across hospitals, community care, intermediate and long-term care, and private healthcare settings. We partner with healthcare organisations to strengthen allied health services through experienced professionals, clinical expertise, and practical workforce strategies.