Specialist healthcare recruitment company Healthcare Locums (HCL) has won a £2.5m locum placement contract with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire NHS trust, one of its biggest deals since being listed on the Alternative Investment Market in November 2005.

In the few months of 2006, HCL has won contracts with an aggregate value of £9.14m. Other deals with NHS operatives include Greater Manchester, Essex Hospitals, Barnsley Primary Care Trust and Leeds Mental Health Trust. Last month, HCL acquired BBL (Europe), a specialist recruiter of hospital doctors and GPs for £10.5m as part of its strategy to gain exposure to the higher-end of the healthcare market. (Recruiter 22 March, Page 11).

The company believes that a high number of the contract wins have been awarded as a result of its approved operator status by the government’s purchasing and supplies agency (PASA) to supply the NHS across the UK.

“We started the year strong which reflects both organic growth and the successful integration of our acquisitions in 2005 and 2006,” said HCL chief executive Kate Bleasdale (pictured). “HCL is benefiting strongly from its inclusion by PASA in its approved operator list and also by being with the National Framework Agreement for doctors.”