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Tech firm helping NHS save on agency costs seals £5.3m BGF Ventures investment

Shoreditch-based software provider Network Locum has raised £5.3m in investment from BGF Ventures.

The tech firm, which was founded by former NHS consultant Melissa Morris, has developed a workplace management platform that helps hospitals, GP practices and other care centres in touch with a pool of over 40,000 vetted GPs, and claims to ‘significantly’ cut locum recruitment costs.

It brings the total funding in the North London business to £8.5m as it looks to use the investment to expand its recruitment pool to include nurses and dental staff, and also to expand the range of features on its mobile app.

Speaking about the benefits of Network Locum’s solution, founder, Melissa Morris said: “The NHS is under such financial strain and Network Locum is a serious solution to a huge government problem.

“Our investors have shown confidence in us, despite the prevailing uncertainty in the market because they can see that we have the potential to deliver for the health service.”

The backing marks the first investment from venture capital firm BGF Ventures since the EU referendum and Simon Calver, one of its founding partners, believes the move shows that the UK’s tech industry is still open for business.

He added: “Leaving the EU raises lots of challenges for the tech community but it does not distract us from our primary purpose of investing in the most promising companies and individuals with global ambitions that we can find.”