Locum at Northam Hospital, WA
About Northam Hospital
Northam Health Service is the largest hospital in WA’s Wheatbelt and acts as the main referral point for surrounding towns. Located just over an hour from Perth, it combines the challenges of rural medicine with the accessibility of a regional centre. Doctors here see a wide mix of presentations, support a diverse community, and play a central role in maintaining continuity of care across the region.
Key facts about Northam Hospital
Hours and On-call
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Doctor in Charge (DIC):
• 0800–1800 on site, then on-call until 0800 the next morning
• Must have airway and critical care competency
• Provides criticality cover overnight (called in for resus/unstable patients) -
10:00 Doctor (ED cover):
• 1000–2030 on site, then on-call until 0800
• Independent GP-ED or MO level
• Provides volume cover overnight (called back if department overloaded) -
Float Shift:
• 1300–2300
• Works across ED + wards (results checking, deterioration reviews, support during peaks) -
Night Doctor:
• 2000–0830
• Solo ED cover overnight, supported by DIC and 10:00 doctor on call
On-Call Framework
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Criticality → DIC (FACEM, SMP, GP-ED with airway skills)
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Volume → 10:00 doctor (to back up night MO if unsafe workload)
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Ward Support → Float and DIC provide cover for ward deterioration after hours (no separate inpatient night doctor)
Location:
Northam, Wheatbelt Hospital & Health Service, WA
Payment Frequency:
21 day payment terms
Orientation
All doctors receive the orientation manual once confirmed for shifts, and a local induction on arrival. This covers hospital layout, ED processes, on-call structure, and escalation pathways. Expect a quick walk-through with key staff before your first shift to get you set up.
Why work at Northam Hospital
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Real variety: you’ll see a very broad case mix in ED (trauma, indigenous health, mental health, pediatrics, rural general medicine) so plenty of learning.
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Leadership opportunity: roles like Doctor-in-Charge mean you really get autonomous experience and responsibility.
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Growing stability: the hospital is moving toward more salaried and recurring positions, so less churn and more continuity.
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Regional balance: you get rural work without the isolation — close enough to Perth and metro resources while enjoying the community and lifestyle of the Wheatbelt.
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Support: established junior medical officer (JMO) program + a team that values mentorship and system/process-oriented candidates.
The facilities and services at Northam
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Emergency Department – modern, purpose-built unit with 2 resus bays, 9 monitored bays, CT scanner onsite, and telehealth support.
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Inpatient Unit – 38 beds (acute medical, rehab, palliative, hospice).
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Specialist Services – oncology (regional base), renal dialysis (non-emergency), allied health, mental health liaison and outpatient clinics.
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Theatres – low-risk elective surgery only; no emergency surgery service.
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Maternity – midwifery-led birthing service for low-risk pregnancies.
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Diagnostics – onsite pathology and imaging (X-ray, CT daily, limited ultrasound, interventional radiology twice weekly).
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Telehealth Hub – Northam provides overnight Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) cover for smaller Wheatbelt hospitals.
Complexities, inpatients, and ED presentations
Northam’s emergency department sees around 14,000 presentations each year — an average of 40–50 patients a day. The case mix is broad and hands-on: road trauma from the Great Eastern Highway, farming accidents, acute medical issues, paediatrics, older patients with multiple comorbidities, as well as a significant proportion of Aboriginal health, mental health, and drug and alcohol presentations.
The 38-bed inpatient unit admits a wide range of medical patients alongside palliative, rehabilitation and oncology services. It’s busy and often full, meaning you’ll encounter plenty of complexity and continuity of care. Higher-level specialties such as major trauma, intensive care, stroke, complex surgery or unstable paediatrics are referred to Perth, but everything in between comes through Northam — giving doctors genuine exposure and responsibility in a supportive environment.
The team & Support:
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During the day you’ll usually work alongside two to three other doctors in ED, including a senior Doctor-in-Charge and additional medical officers.
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Junior doctors (interns and residents) rotate in from Perth, adding extra support and learning opportunities.
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At night there is one doctor on site in ED, backed by senior doctors on call for both critical and high-volume situations.
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On the wards, a General Medicine consultant and experienced career medical officers provide continuity, with allied health, palliative and oncology teams available.
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Strong nursing teams, including emergency and mental health liaison staff, complete the picture — creating a collaborative, well-supported environment.
Hospital team and culture:
Northam has a collaborative, down-to-earth culture where senior doctors, career medical officers and juniors work closely with skilled nursing and allied health teams. It’s a busy service, but supportive — doctors who are adaptable, team-focused and willing to mentor juniors tend to thrive and are welcomed back for repeat blocks.
Mental health support:
Access to both EAP and DNA's partnership with MyMirror
Impact on local community:
As the largest hospital in the Wheatbelt, Northam plays a central role in providing care for a catchment of more than 40,000 people. Doctors here make a real difference — from supporting smaller country hospitals through telehealth to delivering emergency and inpatient care locally. The hospital is a vital service for the community, and clinicians who work here see the tangible impact of their skills every day.
Accommodation & Travel details:
Travel and accommodation are provided for locum doctors. Northam is just over an hour’s drive from Perth, making it one of the more accessible regional sites. For those travelling in, flights can be arranged to Perth with car hire or transfers to Northam. Accommodation is organised by the hospital and is typically self-contained and close to site, giving doctors a comfortable base during placements
Things to see & do in Northam:
Northam is known for its rolling hills, heritage architecture and hot air ballooning — one of the few places in WA where you can float over the Avon Valley at sunrise. The river itself is a hub for walking trails, suspension bridges and picnics, while nearby towns like York and Toodyay offer history, cafes, pubs and weekend markets. Seasonal wildflowers and the open landscapes of the Wheatbelt make for plenty of weekend exploring, all just over an hour from Perth.
DNA Healthcare success stories
We’ve had the pleasure of placing thousands of healthcare professionals at hospitals and organisations across Australia. Hear about their experience with DNA Healthcare.
Beverley Anne from DNA Medical Recruitment was a pleasure to deal with. Honest, efficient and professional at all times.
Doctor
Beverley is the best agent for me – she responds efficiently, goes above and beyond in finding me the most suitable shifts, checks up on me to make sure I’m okay almost daily and you can tell she genuinely wants the best for you. Thank you so much, Beverley, for making everything so smooth for me!
Doctor
I couldn’t recommend Bev the team at DNA Recruitment more highly.
Having been away from hospital practice for 2 years, I was a little nervous stepping back into acute medicine. The team were very understanding and supportive and found a well-paid locum job in a very welcoming team in a Regional Hospital. There was always good communication, arranging all the paperwork and constantly checking in to see how the job was going, and the accounts team were very happy to work with my requests to enable sacrifice of pay to increase Super contribution.
A great experience. I would recommend to any who are looking to engage in locum practice to contact DNA Recruit.
Doctor
Bev was recommended to me by another doctor, and I can see why. From our very first contact, she has been warm, encouraging, and extremely helpful. I’ve had some difficult personal circumstances, which I was afraid would affect my ability to work. Bev has gone above and beyond to find me work, and been incredibly supportive throughout the process.
I’ve worked with several locum agencies in the past, and most of them just do the bare minimum (which I don’t begrudge). But Bev has been an absolute joy to have as my agent, and I’ve already referred another colleague to her. Even Veronika in payroll has been very helpful, friendly, and accommodating. I haven’t worked with anyone else in DNA Recruit, but so far I have only good things to say about them.
Doctor
Thank you Bey you’re adorable. I’m sure you appreciate how competitive the recruitment market is and it’s no secret i have dealt with several agencies (who often advertise the same opportunities) – but one by one shed them in favour of you because in addition to being so damn professional you have a genuine bedside manner which helps to make the tedious process of organising things trip after trip that bit easier – a fact which has not gone unnoticed, and I am grateful for.
Anaesthetic Locum
Thank you Bev, you are amazing! I am impressed with how quickly you managed and sort things out! Thanks for advocating for me.
Doctor
DNA Medical Recruitment provide a warm, caring service to Doctors, and they are an absolute pleasure to deal with. Bev is my consultant, and I could not ask any more of her. She is always ready to help, nothing is an issue and she bends over backwards to ensure that I am moving to a position that suits me. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending DNA to any of our colleagues, whether it be nursing or medical. Thank you Bev for all that you do.
Doctor
I have worked with David over the last year and he is professional, reliable and always keeps me up to date with work matters. David also responds to emails and phone calls promptly which assists me with managing my work schedules. There were occasions in which David had to chase the primary employer for clarification few hours be for my shift, and David has come through with the necessary clarification. I would highly recommend David’s leadership and honesty when it comes to managing your locum placement.
Anaesthetic specialist
