Part 3: Fractional roles and working across multiple health services – the challenges

In the recent ‘Stepping up to Consultant’ article (#4 – Part 2), we explored the benefits of fractional roles, including flexibility and the opportunity to broaden your experience. While these roles can be rewarding, they also come with challenges that require careful consideration.

Balancing multiple systems, integrating into several teams, and managing competing demands can be time-consuming and impact work-life balance. Fractional roles may also affect continuity of care, limit access to teaching and mentorship, and make it harder to attend key meetings that support professional development. Managing multiple health services means navigating different IT systems, policies, and workplace cultures—all of which require time and effort to adjust to. Additionally, on-call demands and ward round responsibilities can vary between sites, requiring careful scheduling and communication to ensure seamless patient care.
 

Key questions to consider before taking on fractional roles or multi-site work

• How will you navigate potential role conflicts?
• Can you efficiently manage travel logistics between sites?
• Are workload expectations realistic and sustainable across multiple employers?
• Do you understand the financial implications, including tax, superannuation, and leave entitlements?
• How will you manage multiple emails, calendars, and logins across different health services?
• Are you comfortable working with different IT/EMR systems and ensuring continuity of patient care across platforms?
• How will you stay across varying hospital policies, processes, and compliance requirements?
• Will you be able to attend key department meetings, teaching sessions, and professional development opportunities at each site?
• How will you build and maintain meaningful relationships with colleagues across multiple workplaces?
• How will you manage on-call rosters across different employers to avoid excessive fatigue and scheduling conflicts?
• Are ward round responsibilities and expectations clearly defined at each site?
• Do you have strategies to maintain work-life balance while managing competing demands from different employers?

These considerations can help you determine whether a fractional and multi-site approach aligns with your career goals and lifestyle.

How we can support you

Explore the benefits of fractional roles in our member resource here and dive deeper into the challenges covered off in this resource.

If you’re ready to start planning, book a complimentary 15-minute career call with our Development and Career team to map out your next steps.

For more in-depth support, our 1:1 professional career coaching programs and single coaching sessions provide expert guidance to help you gain clarity and confidence in your consultant career.

Take the next step with expert support—so you can build a consultant career that works for you.