While discussions are ongoing over an approach for Healthcare Locums (HCL), the healthcare recruiter is planning to expand its permanent nursing division into the UK temporary staffing sector, according to a trading update for the first quarter of the year.

Following a statement last month in which HCL announced it had received an approach which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company, the groups says that while there can be no certainty that any offer will be forthcoming, discussions continue and a further announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Executive vice chairman Kate Bleasdale says with the UK health and social care flexible staffing market currently worth more than £1.4bn annually, growing by more than 20%, HCL will need to respond. This will mean the firm expanding its permanent nursing division into the specialist UK temporary staffing sector during 2010.

The statement adds: “Cumulatively, trading in the first four months of the year was in line with management’s expectations, despite slower than expected trading in April. Since the year end HCL has a won a number of new key contracts for its UK locum divisions, from large NHS and PCT operators across the UK. HCL estimates that the total potential annual value of these contracts is in excess of £13m of revenues.

“The international division continues to grow with significant increases in the database of healthcare staff applying for international permanent placements.  HCL currently has over 18,000 candidates registered to take up international positions, an increase of 44% over the 12,500 candidates we had registered at the end of 2009.”