Business

Nurse acquires Belfast-based healthcare recruitment agency

Kieran McCormick with agency colleagues Vikki Lemon (healthcare assistant) and Katharine Walker (registered nurse). Picture: Darren Kidd /PressEye
Kieran McCormick with agency colleagues Vikki Lemon (healthcare assistant) and Katharine Walker (registered nurse). Picture: Darren Kidd /PressEye Kieran McCormick with agency colleagues Vikki Lemon (healthcare assistant) and Katharine Walker (registered nurse). Picture: Darren Kidd /PressEye

A REGISTERED nurse has bought over Balmoral Healthcare, a recruitment agency for the health sector, in what he says is a “substantial investment”.

Kieran McCormick, who has worked in nursing for 14 years, joined the company originally as operations director in 2019. He also co-founded the NI Health and Social Care Awards.

He acquired Balmoral Healthcare just as it announced a 30 per cent increase in turnover in the last 12 months.

The business, based in south Belfast and employing 19 staff, is due to open a second branch in the north west, initially with two staff.

Currently the company has 504 agency workers in various roles across the public, private, independent and voluntary sectors.

It plans to expand its core offering of registered nurses, paramedics, senior care assistants and healthcare assistants to provide clients with doctors, clerical staff and locum admin.

Kieran said: “I'm delighted to have purchased the company I have spent the last three years helping to grow. As a registered nurse, I fully understand both the needs of our clients and our staff, which is a unique benefit to the business.

“We fill thousands of vacancies each year and our fantastic teams of registered nurses, paramedics, senior care assistants and healthcare assistants have played an important role throughout the course of the pandemic.”

He said the business has seen a 25 per cent increase in temps working for the agency in the past 12 months adding: “In addition to this, we have created four new jobs in our office support team with more new roles to be announced in the coming weeks as we prepare to open a new branch in the north-west this summer.”

Earlier this year Kieran was recently appointed non-executive professional council member of the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council (NIPEC) by Health Minister Robin Swann.

In this role he will support the ongoing development of standards, best practice and guidance, education and professional development for nurses and midwives in Northern Ireland.