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Sector ranking · tested October 2026

Best locum doctor agencies

153 agencies that work in doctors in the UK, ranked on the same tests. Shown as tiers; the Specialist mark shows which go deepest in doctors work.

Doctors · UK · 153

How we rank

All rankings

Area

Every ranking covers the whole UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each agency's page shows the nations it works in.

Doctors by specialty

Top 10 locum doctor agencies

of 153 · unnumbered

  2. ID Medical Group

    27 yrs trading6 confirmed frameworksMilton Keynes

    Specialist

  4. Locum People

    14 yrs trading3 confirmed frameworksMilton Keynes

    Specialist

  5. Athona

    23 yrs trading4 confirmed frameworksBrentwood

    Specialist

  6. NC Healthcare

    15 yrs trading4 confirmed frameworksMilton Keynes

    Specialist

  8. MedicsPro

    24 yrs trading3 confirmed frameworksRomford

    Specialist

  10. BDI Resourcing

    9 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksBristol

    Specialist

Top 25

the next 15

  1. Day Webster

    16 yrs trading3 confirmed frameworksLoughton

    Group

  5. Medecho

    22 yrs trading4 confirmed frameworksLondon

    Specialist

  7. A24 Group

    30 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksLondon

    Specialist

  10. TXM Healthcare

    15 yrs trading5 confirmed frameworksMilton Keynes

    Specialist

  14. Permanent Hire

    6 yrs trading3 confirmed frameworksLondon

    Specialist

Hiring doctors staff? Find an agency from this ranking

Tell us your setting, roles and area and we'll introduce you to agencies from this ranking that fit, in ranked order.

Agencies that work in one nation: England · Scotland · Wales · Northern Ireland

Looking for doctors agency work? Browse 6,096 doctors jobs → from these agencies.

Showing 25 of 153

6,096 open doctors jobs from these agencies are on the job board. One brand per group per ranking: where sister brands from one group both work in doctors, only the higher-ranked brand is listed. Missing an agency? Suggest it.

The Top 10 locum doctor agencies in the UK for October 2026 include Medacs Healthcare, ID Medical Group, Pulse Healthcare, Locum People and Athona. We assessed all 153 with one method, from official registers, public sector framework supplier lists, company filings and each agency's own website. Rankings are free and no agency can pay to rank. How we rank · Overall ranking.

  • 82% are on at least one public sector staffing framework
  • Half have traded for at least 11 years
  • 50 (33%) have open jobs on our site, and 33 of those show pay on most of them

About these locum doctor agencies in the UK

We rank 153 UK locum doctor agencies: 32% of the 484 healthcare recruitment agencies we test. Many also work in other sectors, so the same agency can appear in several rankings.

125 of these agencies (82%) are on at least one public sector staffing framework, more than the 71% across every agency we assess. The most common are HealthTrust Europe TWS3 (97) and Crown Commercial Service RM6281 (78).

The median agency here has traded for 11.4 years, and 5 have traded for under three. 50 (33%) have open jobs on our site, and 33 of those show pay on most of them.

The settings they most often supply are NHS hospitals, private hospitals and care homes. 99 (65%) recruit for permanent roles as well as temporary or locum cover.

Further down the list, the longest-established is Medicure, trading for 31 years. Sanctuary Personnel has the most open jobs on our site (1,853). The newest is EmRec, trading for about a year.

At the top:

  1. Medacs Healthcare: on 6 confirmed frameworks, trading 36 years.
  2. ID Medical Group: on 6 confirmed frameworks, trading 27 years.
  3. Pulse Healthcare: on 6 confirmed frameworks, trading 30 years.
  4. Locum People: on 3 confirmed frameworks, trading 14 years.
  5. Athona: on 4 confirmed frameworks, trading 23 years.
  6. NC Healthcare: on 4 confirmed frameworks, trading 15 years.
  7. Your World Healthcare: on 4 confirmed frameworks, trading 21 years.
  8. MedicsPro: on 3 confirmed frameworks, trading 24 years.
  9. Interact Medical: on 5 confirmed frameworks, trading 31 years.
  10. BDI Resourcing: on 2 confirmed frameworks, trading 9 years.

Figures are from our latest checks of each agency's website, Companies House and public sector framework lists. How we rank.

Questions

How are these locum doctor agencies ranked?

Every agency is assessed with the same method, at the same time, from evidence we can check: official registers, public sector framework supplier lists, company filings and what each agency publishes about itself. Rather than a position for every agency, we show tiers (Top 10, 25 and 50), because small differences in the middle of a ranking aren't meaningful. No agency can pay to be listed, to rank higher or to change a result.

What makes a good locum doctor agency?

Look for one that is on a public sector staffing framework, has a trading record, shows pay on its adverts and is clear about training, the checks you'll need before you start and when you'll be paid. Each agency's page here shows its frameworks, how long it has traded and its live jobs. Then talk to people who work through it.

What is a public sector staffing framework?

An approved supplier list that public sector buyers, such as NHS trusts, health boards and councils, use to book agency staff. To get on one, an agency has to meet the framework's standards on vetting, compliance and rates. Frameworks cover public sector bookings; an agency that supplies care homes, GP practices or private hospitals doesn't need one for that work. Each agency's page lists the frameworks it is on.

Do locum doctor agencies pay weekly?

Of the 127 agencies here whose websites we've read, 22 say they pay weekly. The rest don't say so on their website, so ask before you register. Rates depend on the role, location and shift; each job on our site shows its pay where the advert states it.