Mental health · Specialist nursing · Day, night and 1:1 cover
Healthcare Temp Agency for Mental Health and Specialist Nurses
An empty RMN slot on a PICU night shift, a patient who now needs 2:1 observations, a theatre list with no scrub nurse. Workers Direct supplies registered mental health nurses, specialist nurses and trained support workers whose PIN, DBS and training are checked before they're booked, not after they arrive.
- ✓ NMC PIN checked every booking
- ✓ Enhanced DBS with barred lists
- ✓ Restraint and breakaway trained
- ✓ Compliance file sent before shift
★★★★★ 4.8/5 from employers & jobseekers | Buckingham Palace Rd, Westminster, London SW1W 0QP
24/7
clinical booking line
2 to 6 hrs
typical urgent shift response
100%
PIN and DBS checked before booking
£0
joining or upfront fees
A Specialist Healthcare Staffing Agency, Not a General Temp Desk
Short answer: Workers Direct is a healthcare temp agency based in Westminster, London. We supply registered mental health nurses (RMNs), specialist and registered general nurses, healthcare assistants and mental health support workers to hospitals, mental health units, secure services, care homes with nursing and community teams. Every clinician's NMC PIN, enhanced DBS and mandatory training are checked before booking. Urgent shifts are often covered the same day. Call 020 3086 9080 or the 24/7 line on +44 333 188 0008.
Unlike most medical staffing agencies and hospital staffing agencies, we don't try to cover every clinical role. Mental health and specialist nursing are the hardest shifts to fill and the riskiest to fill badly. A support worker who has never done enhanced observations, or a nurse who hasn't been trained in safe holds, can make a difficult ward unsafe. So we don't send whoever is free. We match on setting, acuity and training: PICU experience for PICU, forensic background for secure services, scrub competencies for theatres.
You get the person's compliance profile before the shift, a named coordinator who knows your unit, and the same faces back where we can, because continuity matters to patients as much as to ward managers. Whether you need one RMN for a Saturday night or a block of nurses for a new ward opening, our healthcare staffing service covers it. It's also part of the wider temporary staffing we run across the UK.
See why care providers choose Workers Direct and the promises in our staffing guarantee.
The Healthcare Staffing Problems Ward Managers Bring to Us
Nursing vacancies have eased since their peak, but mental health and specialist posts are still the ones left on the rota at 4pm. These are the problems care providers and ward managers describe to us most often, and how we deal with each.
Observations that change mid-shift
A patient moves to 1:1 or 2:1 and suddenly you're two staff short.
What we do: standby support workers trained in enhanced observations, booked through a 24/7 line that answers at 2am.
No RMN for the night shift
Without a registered nurse on duty, the ward can't run safely.
What we do: a dedicated RMN pool, matched to acute, PICU, forensic, CAMHS or older adult settings.
Agency staff without restraint training
Staff turn up without the right physical intervention training for your service.
What we do: we record which restraint training each worker holds (PMVA, MAPA or breakaway) and only book people trained to your service's standard.
Compliance gaps found at inspection
An expired DBS or missing training record in an agency file is your risk at a CQC inspection.
What we do: a compliance profile sent before each shift, with PIN, DBS, right to work, training and immunisation dates.
Specialist skills you can't find
ITU, theatres, A&E and learning disability nurses are scarce on most agency books.
What we do: we recruit for specialist competencies, then check them against references from senior clinicians.
A different face every shift
Patients in mental health settings need familiar staff, and constant handovers slow the ward down.
What we do: block bookings and named regulars, so the same nurses return to your unit week after week.
Premium rates eating the budget
Last-minute specialist shifts often cost far more than planned cover.
What we do: clear charge rates agreed in advance, and help planning block cover so fewer shifts are booked in a panic.
Escorts and hospital transfers
A patient needs an escort to A&E or another unit and your team can't spare anyone.
What we do: experienced RMNs and support workers for escorts, transfers and hospital watches, booked at short notice.
Mental Health Staffing: RMNs and Support Workers
Mental health is our main healthcare specialism. We staff inpatient wards, secure services, supported living and community teams for NHS and independent providers.
🧠 Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMN)
Ward nurses, nurse in charge and bank-style cover for acute admissions, rehab and older adult wards.
🛡️ PICU and secure services
RMNs and support workers with low and medium secure or PICU experience, trained in restraint and de-escalation.
👥 Mental health support workers
Enhanced observations, 1:1 and 2:1 support, activities and escorts. See our mental health support worker service.
👧 CAMHS
Nurses and support workers for children's and young people's mental health units, with child barred list checks.
🧩 Learning disability and autism
RNLDs and support workers with positive behaviour support experience and Oliver McGowan training.
🏠 Community and supported living
Community mental health nurses, crisis team cover and support workers for supported living services.
Clinical and Specialist Nurses on Demand
For clinical areas where one gap can cancel a list or close a bed, we supply nurses whose specialist competencies have been checked with previous employers.
| Specialism | Typical settings | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| ITU / critical care nurses | ICU, HDU, step-down units | Critical care course or experience, ventilator and IV competencies, ILS |
| A&E / emergency nurses | Emergency departments, urgent treatment centres | Triage experience, ILS or ALS, recent A&E references |
| Theatre nurses (scrub and recovery) | NHS and private theatres, day surgery | Scrub or anaesthetic competencies by specialty |
| Registered general nurses (RGN) | Medical and surgical wards, care homes with nursing | Medication competency, BLS, setting-matched references |
| Dementia and older adult nurses | EMI units, nursing homes, older adult wards | Dementia care training, falls and moving and handling |
| Learning disability nurses (RNLD) | Assessment and treatment units, supported living | PBS experience, Oliver McGowan training |
| Allied health and support roles | Physio, mortuary, health records | HCPC registration where required, role training |
Need a specific role? We also place physiotherapists in Romford, health information managers and mortuary porters in London.
Healthcare Settings We Staff
🏥 Hospitals and acute trusts
Ward nurses, specialist nurses and HCAs for winter pressure, sickness cover and escalation beds.
🧠 Mental health hospitals
Acute admissions, PICU, rehab, secure and CAMHS units, independent and NHS.
🏠 Care homes with nursing
Night nurses, dementia nurses and agency care staff from a care nursing agency team that knows residential settings, including night carers for residential settings.
🚑 Private hospitals and clinics
Theatre, recovery and ward nurses for elective surgery and outpatient clinics.
🏡 Supported living
Support workers for mental health, learning disability and autism services.
🚗 Community teams
Community nurses and crisis team cover for home treatment and outreach.
What We Check Before Any Nurse or Carer Is Booked
A healthcare staffing agency, or any temp carer agency, is only as safe as its files. This is the compliance profile you receive for every clinician we send.
| Check | Who it applies to | How often |
|---|---|---|
| NMC PIN and revalidation date | All registered nurses | Checked online before every booking |
| Enhanced DBS with adult and child barred lists | All clinical and support staff | On registration, then via the Update Service or annual recheck |
| Right to work | Everyone | On registration and when visas expire |
| Two clinical references | Everyone | One from a recent senior clinician or manager |
| Occupational health and immunisations | Everyone | Fitness to work plus Hep B, MMR, varicella and TB where required |
| Mandatory training | Everyone | BLS, safeguarding, infection control, moving and handling, kept in date |
| Restraint and breakaway training | Mental health and secure settings | PMVA, MAPA or breakaway, matched to the service |
| Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act | Mental health staff | Training recorded and refreshed |
| Oliver McGowan training | Staff working with people with a learning disability or autism | Tier 1 or Tier 2 as the role requires |
| HCPC registration | Physiotherapists and allied health roles | Checked before booking |
How to Book Temporary Healthcare Staff
1
Tell us the shift
Grade, setting, acuity, observation level, start time, training needed and who they report to.
2
Get a matched profile
We send the clinician's compliance profile and rate before you confirm.
3
They arrive briefed
Ward address, parking, door codes process, contact name and any patient risks you share.
4
Sign off and repeat
Approve the timesheet, give feedback, and rebook the people you want back.
Typical lead times
| Booking | Typical lead time | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent support worker cover | 2 to 4 hours | New 1:1 observations, sickness |
| Urgent RMN or RGN shift | 4 to 6 hours | Night shift with no nurse in charge |
| Specialist nurse shift | 24 to 72 hours | ITU, theatres, A&E |
| Block booking or new ward | 1 to 4 weeks | Winter pressure, unit opening, long-term sickness |
Healthcare Staffing Across London and the UK
Our healthcare desk runs from Westminster and covers every London borough. We also supply nurses and support workers to providers in Manchester, Warrington, Bradford, Doncaster, Carlisle and beyond. Read more on healthcare staffing in London.
North London
East London
East Ham, Custom House and Romford.
West London
Greenford, Paddington (W2) and Ealing.
Outside London: urgent healthcare staffing in Warrington, plus Manchester, Bradford, Doncaster and Carlisle.
Unfilled Shift on Tonight's Rota?
Ring the 24/7 line with the grade, setting and start time. We'll tell you straight away what we can cover.
24/7: +44 333 188 0008 Office: 020 3086 9080UK Healthcare Staffing Facts and Figures 2026
The figures behind today's healthcare staffing market, checked October 2026. Each row links to its source.
| Measure | Figure | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS England vacancies | 97,475 (6.5%) at 31 March 2026 | Shortages remain across most staff groups | NHS England Digital |
| Registered nursing vacancies | 21,643 (5.0%) at 31 March 2026 | Lower than the 2022 peak, but gaps cluster in specialist areas | NHS England Digital |
| Mental health nurses on the NMC register (England) | 83,822 at 31 March 2026 | A small pool shared by every NHS and private provider | NMC |
| Total NMC register (England address) | 678,572 professionals | Mental health nurses make up about 12% | NMC |
| Adult social care vacancy rate | 6.2% in 2025/26, about 96,000 vacancies a day | Lowest in a decade, but still large in absolute terms | Skills for Care via Nursing in Practice |
| Registered nurses in adult social care | About 36,000 in 2025/26 | Care homes with nursing compete hard for the same nurses | Skills for Care via Nursing in Practice |
| NHS England agency spend | Cut by almost £1 billion in 2024/25 | Buyers expect tighter rates and better-planned cover | Staffing Industry Analysts |
| National Living Wage (21+) | £12.71/hr from 1 April 2026 | The legal floor for care and support worker pay | GOV.UK |
| London Living Wage 2026/27 | £15.45/hr (voluntary) | Many London providers benchmark carer pay against it | CIPP |
| Fair Work Agency | Launched 7 April 2026 | One body now enforces agency worker rights | REC |
Guide Pay for Temporary Healthcare Staff (2026)
Typical hourly pay to the worker for agency shifts. Nights, weekends, bank holidays, secure settings and London postcodes usually pay more. Your charge rate is quoted per grade before booking.
| Role | Typical pay per hour | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare assistant / carer | £12.75 to £15.50 | Night carer shifts at the top end |
| Mental health support worker | £13.00 to £17.00 | Secure and PICU settings pay more |
| Registered general nurse (RGN) | £24 to £35 | Care home nights often higher |
| Registered mental health nurse (RMN) | £25 to £38 | Forensic and PICU experience in demand |
| Specialist nurse (ITU, theatres, A&E) | £28 to £45 | Depends on competencies and setting |
| Physiotherapist | £26 to £40 | HCPC registration required |
Latest Healthcare Temp Jobs
Nurse, carer or support worker looking for shifts? Here's a snapshot of current healthcare roles. Pay is a guide and confirmed at booking. Updated October 2026.
| Job | Location | Guide pay | Shift | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Support Worker | Paddington, London W2 | £13.00 to £15.50 | Days and nights | View job |
| Mental Health Support Worker | Manchester M4 | £13.00 to £16.00 | Rota incl. nights | View job |
| Nurse | Doncaster DN1 | £24 to £34 | Immediate start | View job |
| Physiotherapist | Romford RM1 | £26 to £38 | Immediate start | View job |
| Healthcare Assistant | Bradford BD1 | £12.75 to £14.50 | Days and nights | View job |
| Healthcare Assistant | Carlisle CA1 | £12.75 to £14.50 | Days and nights | View job |
| Mortuary Porter | City of London EC2 | £13.00 to £15.00 | Days | View job |
| Night Carer | Islington | £13.00 to £15.50 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Greenford | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Brixton | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Greenwich | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | East Ham | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Custom House | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Honor Oak | £13.00 to £15.00 | Nights | View job |
| Night Carer | Hampstead Garden Suburb | £13.50 to £15.50 | Nights | View job |
Nurses and carers: why join our temp healthcare agency
Choose your shifts, get paid weekly, and keep your training in date with reminders from us. After 12 weeks in the same role you're entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as directly employed staff.
Bring your NMC PIN (if registered), proof of right to work, DBS details and training certificates to registration.
Browse more jobs
Free Resources for Care Providers and Ward Managers
Use these whether you book with us or not. Care sector writers and HR teams are welcome to cite the facts table above with a link to this page.
✅ Agency nurse audit checklist
Before a temporary clinician starts, confirm you hold:
- Live NMC PIN check with expiry date
- Enhanced DBS with the right barred lists
- Right-to-work evidence
- In-date mandatory training matrix
- Restraint training type and date (mental health)
- Two references, one clinical
- Photo ID matched on arrival
- Local induction signed on the first shift
📝 The healthcare shift brief
Share these when you book and the right person arrives ready:
- Grade and number of staff
- Ward type and acuity
- Observation levels in place
- Restraint standard used on the unit
- Start, finish and break times
- Who to report to on arrival
- Uniform, parking and access details
📚 Useful pages
- Healthcare staff hire
- Mental health support workers
- Healthcare staffing in London
- Our staffing guarantee
Citing our data? Please credit "Workers Direct, UK Healthcare Staffing Facts 2026" and link to this page.
What Typical Healthcare Bookings Look Like
Example scenarios based on the requests we handle most often. They show how we work, not results for a named client.
Independent mental health hospital, PICU
The ask: two support workers for 2:1 observations from 7pm, plus an RMN for nights all week.
How we'd handle it: PMVA-trained support workers from the standby list that evening, and the same RMN block-booked for the week.
Nursing home, East London
The ask: a night nurse for dementia residents while a permanent post is advertised.
How we'd handle it: one RGN with dementia experience on a rolling block, plus a named backup who has already done a local induction.
Private hospital, theatre list
The ask: a scrub nurse for orthopaedic lists on Thursday and Friday.
How we'd handle it: competencies checked against the specialty, profile sent 48 hours ahead, and recovery cover offered if needed.
See Workers Direct in Action
Short videos on how we find, check and place temporary staff, including temporary healthcare staff.
Why Care Providers Choose Our Healthcare Staffing Agency
Mental health focus
RMNs and support workers matched by setting and acuity.
Files before faces
Compliance profile in your inbox before the shift starts.
Continuity
Block bookings and the same regulars wherever we can.
Answered at 3am
A 24/7 line staffed by people who can book.
Clear rates
Charge rates agreed per grade before you confirm.
Temp or permanent
Agency shifts, block cover or permanent care staff.
London and UK
Westminster desk with cover across England.
Rated 4.8 out of 5
From 6,731 reviews. Backed by our guarantee.
Healthcare Temp Agency: Your Questions Answered
How quickly can you supply temporary healthcare staff?
Urgent support worker cover typically arrives within 2 to 4 hours, and urgent RMN or RGN shifts within 4 to 6 hours. Specialist nurse shifts usually need 24 to 72 hours. Call the 24/7 line on +44 333 188 0008.
Do you supply registered mental health nurses (RMNs)?
Yes. Mental health is our main healthcare specialism. We supply RMNs for acute wards, PICU, low and medium secure services, rehab, CAMHS, older adult wards and community teams, matched to the setting and acuity.
Can you cover 1:1 and 2:1 observations at short notice?
Yes. We keep mental health support workers trained in enhanced observations on standby, so a change in observation level can usually be covered the same shift.
Which specialist nurses can you provide?
ITU and critical care, A&E, theatre scrub and recovery, dementia and older adult, learning disability (RNLD) and registered general nurses. We check each nurse's competencies with previous employers before booking.
What checks do your nurses and carers go through?
NMC PIN and revalidation checks before every booking, enhanced DBS with barred list checks, right to work, two references, occupational health and immunisations, and in-date mandatory training. Mental health staff also have restraint, Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act training recorded.
Will I get the staff member's compliance file before the shift?
Yes. We send a compliance profile for each person before they start, covering PIN, DBS, right to work, training and immunisation dates, so your audit trail is in place before they arrive.
How much does an agency nurse cost?
It depends on grade, specialism, setting and time of shift. As a guide, agency RMN pay runs from about £25 to £38 an hour and specialist nurses from about £28 to £45. We quote a charge rate per grade before you confirm, with no joining fees.
Can I book the same nurses regularly?
Yes. Block bookings and named regulars are how we keep continuity on mental health wards. Tell us who worked well and we'll prioritise them for your unit.
Do you supply permanent care staff as well as temps?
Yes. Alongside agency shifts and block cover, our healthcare recruitment consultants handle permanent healthcare placement for nurses and care staff, and many providers move a good agency worker into a permanent post.
Which areas do you cover?
Every London borough from our Westminster office, including Islington, Brixton, Greenwich, East Ham and Greenford, plus providers in Manchester, Warrington, Bradford, Doncaster, Carlisle and other parts of England.
I'm a nurse or support worker. How do I join?
Browse our healthcare jobs and apply, then bring your NMC PIN if registered, right-to-work documents, DBS details and training certificates to registration. We'll match you to shifts in the settings you prefer.
How much do healthcare temp jobs pay?
Healthcare assistants and carers typically earn £12.75 to £15.50 an hour, mental health support workers £13 to £17, and registered nurses from about £24 upwards. Nights, weekends and specialist settings pay more.
Popular Workers Direct Pages
Need a Nurse or Support Worker on Shift Today?
Tell us the grade, the setting and the start time. Our healthcare temp agency will come back with a rate and a checked clinician, often the same day.
Book Healthcare Staff Call 020 3086 9080 Email UsWorkers Direct Healthcare
Buckingham Palace Rd, Westminster, London, SW1W 0QP
Phone: 020 3086 9080
24/7: +44 333 188 0008
Email: [email protected]