National Locums

What National Locums does

National Locums is a UK-based medical locum recruitment agency founded in 2009 by David Cook, his wife Jen, and his brother Glenn, headquartered in Milton Keynes and operating as part of the family-owned Cook Investment Group. The company supplies locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), general practitioners (GPs), and care workers to NHS trusts and independent hospitals across all four UK national health services, with additional placements into Australia, the Middle East, and the Channel Islands. Its primary customer base is NHS Trusts, supplemented by independent hospitals and Crown Dependencies/overseas public-sector clients.

The company's product surface centers on a sales-led recruitment platform comprising a live online job board, a 2-minute fast-track registration portal, dedicated recruitment consultant matching, compliance validation (independently audited at 98.5% Platinum under the HealthTrust Europe Total Workforce Solutions Framework), and engagement models spanning PAYE, Personal Services Company, and Umbrella Company arrangements. Distribution is anchored by preferred-supplier status on all major NHS procurement frameworks — NHS Collaborative Procurement Partnership, HealthTrust Europe, NHS Shared Business Services, GIG Cymru NHS Wales, HSCNI, NHS National Services Scotland, and the Crown Commercial Service — alongside Channel Islands and Isle of Man government supply agreements.

National Locums generates revenue through contingency-based placement fees on successful temporary (locum) and permanent placements of healthcare professionals, having reported revenues above £19M in the most recent Fast 50 financial year. The company employs roughly 100 staff with a stated growth target of 130, ranked 9th in Recruiter Magazine's Fast 50 and listed in the Recruiter Hot 100 (2024), with Platinum-rated compliance audits and Best Companies two-star accreditation supporting its positioning as a top-tier UK medical staffing provider.

Name

National Locums

Legal name

National Locums Limited

Website

https://nationallocums.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Locums is a UK-based medical recruitment agency founded in 2009 that places locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and GPs into NHS trusts and independent hospitals across all four UK national health services and select overseas markets. It operates as preferred supplier on major NHS procurement frameworks and runs a sales-led recruitment platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Staffing / Medical Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Clinical & Allied Health Staffing (BPACADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthcare Clinical Direct Hire (Nursing/Allied/Physicians) (BPACAFAH)

Keywords

• Medical locum recruitment
• Healthcare staffing agency
• Locum doctor placement
• Locum nurse recruitment
• Allied health professionals

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton Keynes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Recruitment Placement Fees: Contingency-based recruitment fees for placing doctors, nurses, AHPs, and other healthcare professionals into NHS trusts and independent hospitals. Revenue generated through successful placements on temporary (locum) and potentially permanent basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Locums is a specialist recruitment agency placing locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), and locum GPs into NHS trusts and independent hospitals across the UK. The company matches candidates to vacancies through dedicated recruitment consultants and operates an online job board plus a fast-track registration process that allows healthcare professionals to begin working within days. It operates as a preferred supplier on all major UK NHS procurement frameworks.

Product overview

National Locums operates as a medical locum recruitment agency providing end-to-end staffing solutions to the NHS and independent hospitals across the UK. The company offers a unified platform combining doctor, nurse, AHP, and GP placement services, supported by an online job board, fast-track registration system, and refer-a-friend programme. The portfolio functions as an integrated recruitment service where candidates register through the Fast Track system, search live vacancies via the job board portal, and are matched by dedicated recruitment consultants to positions aligned with their specialty skills and preferences. The company operates as preferred supplier across multiple NHS national frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doctor Locum Placement Services Recruitment and placement of locum doctors across multiple specialties (including Psychiatry, Medicine, Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthetics) and grades (Consultant, Specialty Doctor, SPR, SHO, FY1/FY2) into NHS trusts and independent hospitals throughout the UK.
• Nurse Locum Placement Services Recruitment and placement of locum nurses (including RGN, RMN) and healthcare assistants into NHS trusts and healthcare facilities across the UK.
• AHP Locum Placement Services Recruitment and placement of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other allied roles into healthcare organisations.
• Locum GP Placement Services Recruitment and placement of locum General Practitioners into NHS and private healthcare settings, including overseas opportunities in Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Channel Islands.
• Care and Social Care Locum Services Recruitment and placement of locum care workers across domiciliary care, residential care, and complex care settings, supporting healthcare organisations with flexible care staffing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.5% Platinum audit score from Neuven Solutions for HTE Total Workforce Solutions Framework
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NHS Collaborative Procurement PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred supplier status enabling supply of locum doctors, nurses, and AHPs to NHS trusts across the UK through this major NHS procurement framework.
• HealthTrust EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred supplier on HTE Total Workforce Solutions Framework. Subject to regular Neuven Solutions compliance audits achieving Platinum ratings.
• HSC Health and Social Care Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed to HSCNI National Agency Workers Medical & Dental Framework for supplying medical and dental locums to Northern Ireland trusts.
• NHS Shared Business ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred supplier framework enabling supply of healthcare locums to NHS organizations.
• GIG Cymru NHS WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved supplier for providing nurses and other healthcare professionals to NHS Wales organizations.
• NHS National Services ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWon NHS National Services Scotland Framework award, authorized to provide nurses to all 14 of Scotland's territorial health boards.
• Crown Commercial ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved supplier on Crown Commercial Service framework for public sector staffing.
• States of GuernseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved supplier for providing healthcare locums to Guernsey government health services.
• States of JerseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved supplier for providing healthcare locums to Jersey government health services.
• Isle of Man GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved supplier for providing healthcare locums to Isle of Man government health services.
• Cook Investment GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company. Cook Investment Group operates three companies specializing in different aspects of medical recruitment. Group includes National Locums, Locum People Limited, and MediTeam Recruitment Limited.
• Locum People LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within Cook Investment Group, specializing in medical recruitment.
• MediTeam Recruitment LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within Cook Investment Group, specializing in medical recruitment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ID Medical: ID Medical is one of the UK's largest specialist locum recruitment agencies placing doctors, nurses, AHPs and pharmacists into NHS trusts. Operates on multiple NHS frameworks nationally, directly competing with National Locums in doctor/nurse locum supply.
• Maxxima: Maxxima is a UK specialist recruitment agency focused on healthcare and life sciences locum and permanent placement. It places locum doctors, nurses and AHPs into NHS and independent hospitals, directly comparable to National Locums' core offering.
• Athona: Athona is a UK-based specialist healthcare recruitment agency placing doctors, nurses and AHPs into NHS and private healthcare settings. Direct competitor with similar locum-focused business model and NHS framework presence.
• Pulse Healthcare: Pulse is a specialist UK healthcare staffing agency supplying locum and permanent doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to the NHS and private sector. Direct competitor for the same candidate pool and NHS trust contracts.
• Pertemps Medical: Pertemps Medical is the healthcare arm of Pertemps Network Group, placing locum doctors, nurses and AHPs into NHS trusts across the UK. Operates on similar NHS procurement frameworks, making it a directly comparable specialist competitor.
• Medacs Healthcare: Medacs Healthcare is one of the largest UK locum doctor and nursing recruitment agencies with extensive NHS framework coverage. Directly comparable in scale, model, and target customer base to National Locums.

Broad incumbents

• Reed Specialist Recruitment: Reed is one of the UK's largest generalist recruitment firms with a substantial healthcare division supplying locum doctors and nurses to the NHS. Larger and more diversified than National Locums but competes head-on in locum healthcare staffing.
• Hays (Hays Healthcare): Hays is a global recruitment giant with a dedicated UK Healthcare division placing doctors, nurses and allied health professionals into NHS trusts. A broader incumbent with deeper pockets and international reach, competing with National Locums on NHS framework contracts.

Emerging players

• Locum People: Locum People is a sister company within the same Cook Investment Group, providing medical recruitment services (locum doctors, nurses and AHPs). It is comparable as the closest related entity, although smaller, and competes in the same UK healthcare locum space.

Regional players

• Drake Medox: Drake Medox is part of Drake International and operates in healthcare staffing across the UK and Ireland, placing locum and permanent clinical staff. Comparable business model and customer base though slightly different geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nationallocums
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationallocums
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-locums

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Locums