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Healthcare Locums plc

('HCL' or the 'Company')

Trading Update

Healthcare Locums plc, the UK's largest and one of the fastest growing specialist health and social care staffing companies, reports on trading for the 52 week period to 31 December 2009.The Company will report its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2009 in the fourth 
week of March 2010. 

Trading continues to be robust with consistent month on month revenue and profit growth in all divisions throughout the year. The Company can report that it expects results to be in line with market expectations.

All divisions have shown very strong performances in 2009 and the Company anticipates continuing growth in each of its divisions into 2010.The international permanent placement division had a particularly strong second half in 2009 following the opening of new offices in Australia, Canada and Abu Dhabi in the latter half of the year. The international market is being driven by the huge shortages of healthcare workers worldwide; HCL's particular focus is on the US market, where 1.2 million new nurses will be needed by 2014, and in the event that President Obama's healthcare reform bill gets passed, demand for suitably qualified healthcare staff in the US will continue to rise, as a potential 46 million people gain access to the healthcare system for the first time.

In the UK, the Doctors, Qualified Social Workers and Allied Health Professional businesses have continued to deliver good performances. Demand continues to be driven by the ageing population, and a deficit of appropriately qualified health and social care professionals available to meet this demand. Management believes that the NHS will continue to expand frontline services to meet the healthcare needs of both a growing and an ageing population. It is now widely recognised that the use of flexible agency staff is a cheaper and more efficient alternative to the high cost of full time employees, and that a workforce ratio of up to 20% flexible staffing to 80% permanent is the most cost effective way to manage the huge public sector workforce with its growing and unsustainable pension liability.

Kate Bleasdale, Executive Vice Chairman of Healthcare Locums plc, commented:

'We are very pleased with the Company's performance which demonstrates that we can continue to deliver very strong organic growth. We are operating in a market place that is not exposed to the negative impact of the wider economic environment and the opportunities for our business are very exciting. The UK health and social care flexible staffing market is currently worth in excess of £1.4 billion annually, and an international market for permanent placements of healthcare professionals is worth over £8 billion. We look forward to 2010 with confidence.'

Kate Bleasdale, Executive Vice Chairman            020 7451 1451

Diane Jarvis, Chief Financial Officer

Pelham Bell Pottinger                                            020 7861 3232

David Rydell/Emma Kent/Duncan Mayall

Fairfax I.S. PLC, Nomad and joint broker

Simon Bennett/Laura Littley                                  020 7598 5368

                            KBC Peel Hunt, joint broker                                  020 7418 8990

                            Jonathan Marren