Online locum cover discussion guide for the KNOV
An online tool that guides locum midwives and practice owners step by step through the rate conversation. Without storing any data.
The KNOV (the Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives) wanted to support its members in the conversation about locum cover within their practices. An earlier calculation scheme was no longer possible due to changed regulations. Together with a working group of practice owners and locum midwives, a new instrument was created: the discussion guide for locum cover. We built the online tool.
The challenge
Rates are a sensitive subject, legally too. The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) sets out, in its Guidelines for the Healthcare Sector, what scope a trade association does and doesn't have when advising members. The tool had to stay within that: supporting the conversation, without imposing rates. And privacy-sensitive calculations came with a strict requirement: no input could be stored.
What we built
A step-by-step online discussion guide that gives the locum and practice owner joint insight into what a fair consultation rate and duty rate could be:
- Determining a gross hourly rate for self-employed professionals, including reserves and levies
- Adjusting the gross hourly rate based on work experience
- Adjusting the gross hourly rate based on the type of work
- Discussing an indication of hours worked per 24-hour duty
- Discussing the final consultation rate and duty rate
Users can go back to a previous step at any time, and in the last step save a print view of the completed guide. The data is not stored or retained in any way: once the page is closed, it cannot be retrieved.
The result
After a pilot phase from October 2025 to March 2026, during which KNOV members gave feedback through evaluation forms and platform meetings, the discussion guide was officially published. The tool gives structure to the rate conversation and is available to all members via knov.nl.