Veterinary Locum Agency UK: Hire RCVS-Registered Locum Vets and Nurses Fast

Alliance places RCVS-registered locum vets and veterinary nurses for UK practices — small animal, equine, farm, emergency, and referral. Emergency cover arranged in 24–48 hours. Permanent and locum recruitment handled by one dedicated agency. 16+ years of healthcare and specialist recruitment experience across 36+ countries.

Stop Searching. Start Hiring Talent Now

Hire a Talent

Apply as a Talent

• 16+ Years of Veterinary and Healthcare Recruitment Experience
• 15,000+ Specialist Placements Across Healthcare Sectors
• RCVS Registration Verified on Every Locum Candidate Before Placement
• 1,500+ Employer Clients Across the UK
• 36+ Countries
• Emergency Locum Cover Available in 24–48 Hours

What Is a Veterinary Locum Agency?

A veterinary locum agency sources, screens, and places RCVS-registered locum vets and veterinary nurses into UK practices on a short-term or interim basis. Veterinary practices use locum agencies to cover planned absences, emergency staff shortages, maternity leave, long-term vacancies, and new practice launches where a permanent hire is not yet in post.

Alliance Recruitment Agency is a UK veterinary and healthcare recruitment agency placing Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS), Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs), Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Care Assistants and Practice Managers. We serve independent practices, specialist referral centres, emergency hospitals and corporate veterinary groups including CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Medivet, VetPartners and Vets4Pets.

Every locum candidate presented by Alliance is pre-screened for RCVS registration, Enhanced DBS clearance, professional indemnity insurance, and the right to work in the UK before any introduction to your practice.

How quickly can you supply a locum vet? Emergency locum cover is arranged within 24–48 hours. Planned cover for holidays or maternity leave is confirmed within 3–5 working days. For specialist and referral positions, lead time is typically 1–2 weeks, depending on discipline and location.

Do locum vets need to be RCVS registered? Yes. Under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, only RCVS-registered veterinary surgeons may diagnose, treat or operate on animals in the UK. All RVNs must hold current RCVS RVN registration. Alliance verifies registration status and checks for any conditions, suspensions, or lapsed renewals before every placement introduction.

Veterinary Locum and Permanent Roles We Fill for UK Practices

• Veterinary Surgeon (MRCVS): BVSc / BVMS / BVetMed or internationally recognised equivalent, with current RCVS registration. General practice covers small animal, equine, farm, and mixed. Emergency and out-of-hours cover available. ECC-experienced vets on our active locum register.
• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN): RCVS-registered nurses for ward nursing, surgical assistance, and anaesthetic monitoring. Both locum and permanent RVN placements. Head Nurse and Senior RVN positions are also filled for larger multi-vet sites.
• Student Veterinary Nurse (SVN): enrolled RCVS Student Veterinary Nurses for supervised clinical support. Placement arranged in line with RCVS Schedule 3 supervision requirements.
• Veterinary Technician (VT): Non-RCVS-regulated clinical support roles including diagnostic imaging, laboratory support and anaesthetic assistance. Pre-vetted for practical clinical skills.
• Veterinary Care Assistant (VCA): patient care, kennel and cattery support, client-facing reception assistance. Entry-level and experienced VCA placements available for day cover and long-term arrangements.
• Practice Manager: operational, financial and people management for independent and corporate group practices. Both interim and permanent placements.
• RCVS Specialist / Diplomate: Referral-level specialists in surgery, internal medicine, oncology, dermatology, cardiology, neurology, and diagnostic imaging. European and American Diplomate-qualified candidates on the register.
• Veterinary Receptionist: Client-facing reception and front-of-house roles for busy practices. GDPR-trained and experienced with PMS software (VetSoftware, Ezyvet, Animana, RxWorks).

Types of Veterinary Locum Cover Alliance Arranges

How Alliance Is Different From Other Veterinary Locum Agencies

• RCVS registration is verified before every introduction: We check the RCVS Online Register in real time before presenting any candidate. Registration number, registration date, any conditions or notes, and renewal status are confirmed. You never receive a profile where registration has lapsed, is under conditions, or is under investigation.
• Enhanced DBS and indemnity insurance checked before placement: All locum candidates hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate (renewed every three years) and valid professional indemnity cover (VDS Professional, Protector, or equivalent). Copies are provided with each candidate profile on request.
• Emergency cover confirmed in 24–48 hours: Our veterinary locum desk is staffed to respond to urgent practice requests within working hour. We maintain an active register of available locums — not a database of candidates who last engaged three years ago.
• Permanent and locum from one agency: No need to manage separate supplier relationships for locum cover and permanent recruitment. Alliance handles both from a single point of contact. For practices hiring at volume, our RPO services provide a fully managed veterinary recruitment solution for corporate groups.
• Overseas-trained RCVS-registered vets available: Alliance provides overseas recruitment to the UK from 36+ countries — sourcing RCVS-registered overseas-trained vets from Australia, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, India and Europe. This directly addresses the domestic UK vet shortage that UK-only agencies cannot solve.
• IR35 and AWR-compliant locum arrangements: All locum engagements are structured correctly for off-payroll working rules (IR35) and Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) 12-week equal treatment. For longer-term contract staffing arrangements, Alliance advises on the correct engagement model before confirmation. No compliance risk transferred to your practice.
• Replacement cover if a locum cancels: If a confirmed locum withdraws at short notice, Alliance arranges replacement cover at no additional placement fee. Your rota is protected.

Alliance Recruitment Agency vs Other Veterinary Locum Agencies

How We Place Locum Vets and Nurses for UK Practices

1. Practice Brief (Day 1):

You tell us the role, cover dates, practice type, and any clinical requirements. We confirm which RCVS categories apply, what DBS level is needed, and whether an IR35 employment status assessment is required for your engagement structure.

2. Active Locum Matching (Days 1–2):

We search our active locum register, not a passive database. RCVS registration, DBS clearance, indemnity insurance, availability, and location are all confirmed before any candidate is considered for presentation.

3. Candidate Presentation (Day 2–3):

You receive matched candidate profiles including RCVS registration number, clinical experience summary, practice types worked in, availability dates, and current day rate. DBS certificate date and indemnity insurer confirmed on request.

4. Booking Confirmation (Day 3):

Locum confirmed in writing. Induction notes, practice address, clinical systems used (e.g., EzyVet, VetSoftware), on-call arrangements, and parking details were shared with the locum before their start date.

5. Cover Period Support:

Your consultant remains contactable throughout the placement. Any clinical, logistical, or conduct-related issues are resolved the same day. We do not disappear after booking.

6. Post-Placement Review:

Feedback collected from your practice and from the locum after each placement. If your locum cover need has become a permanent vacancy, our UK recruitment agency team takes the permanent search forward from the same consultant relationship.

Veterinary Practices We Recruit Locum Staff For

• Small Animal General Practice: Independent single-site practices, group independent practices and corporate-owned clinics across the UK. For London-based practices, our staffing agency in London also provides clinical and administrative support staff alongside veterinary locums.
• Mixed Practice: Farm, equine, and small animal combined. Locum vets with mixed experience on the register, including TBTB-testing-certifiedractitioners.
• Equine Practice: Ambulatory equine vets and equine hospital-based surgeons. Competition vet experience available. Equine nurses and VCAs for yard and hospital support.
• Farm and Large Animal Practice: Ruminant, pig, and poultry practice. TB testing-approved vets (APHA-listed Official Veterinarians) available. Dairy, beef, sheep, and pig enterprise experience.
• Emergency and Critical Care (ECC): 24-hour and out-of-hours emergency hospitals. ECC-experienced vets and nurses on the active register. Shift and rota-based cover arranged.
• Specialist Referral Centre: RCVS Specialists and EuEuropean/Americaniplomates for soft tissue surgery, orthopaedics, oncology, dermatology, cardiology, neurology and diagnostic imaging.
• Corporate Veterinary Groups: CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Medivet, VetPartners and Vets4Pets. For large-scale or multi-site locum supply, Alliance offers managed manpower solutions to corporate group procurement and HR teams.
• University Veterinary Hospitals: Clinical academic placements, EMS supervisor roles, and locum support for university-affiliated hospitals and teaching practice sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is a veterinary locum agency?

Answer: A veterinary locum agency sources, screens, and places RCVS-registered locum vets and veterinary nurses into practices needing short-term or interim clinical cover. Alliance handles emergency cover, planned holiday cover, maternity cover, and long-term vacancy cover across all UK practice types.

Q2. How quickly can you provide a locum vet?

Answer: Emergency cover is arranged in 24–48 hours. Planned cover for annual leave or maternity leave is confirmed within 3–5 working days. Specialist and referral roles typically require 1–2 weeks’ lead time depending on discipline and location.

Q3. Do Alliance locum vets hold RCVS registration?

Answer: Yes. Alliance verifies RCVS registration status in real time before presenting any candidate. Registration number, renewal date, and any conditions or restrictions are confirmed. All overseas-trained vets sourced by Alliance also hold current RCVS registration.

Q4. Do you supply locum veterinary nurses as well as locum vets?

Answer: Yes. Alliance places Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs), Student Veterinary Nurses (SVNs), Veterinary Technicians, and Veterinary Care Assistants for locum and permanent roles. Head Nurse and Senior RVN positions are also covered.

Q5. Can you handle permanent vet recruitment as well as locum cover?

Answer: Yes. Alliance manages both permanent and locum veterinary recruitment from a single point of contact. One consultant handles your full staffing requirement — no separate agency relationships needed.

Q6. How much does a locum vet cost per day?

Answer: Locum vet day rates in the UK currently range from £350 to £600 per day for general practice and up to £700 or above for emergency, specialist, and referral positions. RVN day rates typically range from £130 to £200 per day. Alliance provides the exact day rate for each candidate at the point of shortlisting.

Q7. Are your locum arrangements IR35 compliant?

Answer: Yes. Alliance reviews the correct employment status and engagement model for every locum placement before confirmation. All arrangements are structured in line with current off-payroll working rules. The appropriate IR35 determination is made before the booking is confirmed — no compliance risk is passed to your practice.

Q8. How do you handle Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) for locums?

Answer: Alliance tracks AWR entitlements for all locums placed on extended assignments. At the 12-week qualifying period, equal treatment rights in pay and conditions apply under the AWR. We advise practicing approaching AWR thresholds in advance so you can plan accordingly.

Q9. Do you source overseas-trained vets for UK practices?

Answer: Yes. Alliance recruits RCVS-registered vets from 36+ countries, including Australia, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, India, and across Europe. All overseas-trained vets hold valid RCVS registration before introduction. This directly addresses the domestic UK vet shortage.

Q10. How do I request a locum vet or nurse?

Answer: Contact Alliance directly or complete our practice request form. We confirm candidate availability and send matched profiles within 24 hours of receiving your brief. For emergency cover, call our veterinary locum desk directly for a same-day response.