The verdict in three sentences
In healthcare staffing in London, an unfilled shift is lost within hours: the speed of offering shifts to workers drives revenue. Custom software combining a worker app, automatic qualification and NMC PIN checks and timesheets approved by ward managers costs 39,000 to 78,000 GBP for a 5 to 7 month rollout. The clearest expected benefit: lifting the shift fill rate from about 70% to 88%.
Generic staffing software or a tailored tool
An agency with 1,200 registered nurses and healthcare assistants serving 90 facilities (private hospitals, care homes, NHS trusts) often receives requests the day before. Generic staffing platforms handle contracts and payroll well, but struggle with fast matching and healthcare-specific compliance.
| Criterion | Generic staffing software | Tailored tool |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 4,500 to 13,000 GBP | 39,000 to 78,000 GBP |
| Recurring cost | 70 to 130 GBP per user per month | 700 to 1,550 GBP per month (compliant hosting, maintenance) |
| Shift offers | Email or recruiter phone call | App push, one-tap acceptance |
| Qualification, NMC PIN, DBS, vaccinations | Manual, scanned documents | Automatic checks and expiry alerts |
| Timesheets | Paper or signed PDF | Online approval by the ward manager |
| Payroll and invoicing link | Native | Connector to the existing tool |
| Timeline | 1 to 2 months | 5 to 7 months |
Custom software does not necessarily replace payroll: it runs the operational layer (matching, compliance, timesheets) and passes approved data to the payroll system already in place.
Detailed 2026 budget
2026 order of magnitude for a London agency of this size:
| Module | Range (GBP) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| iOS and Android worker app (availability, shifts, documents) | 13,000 to 24,000 | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Matching engine (grade, distance, history, preferences) | 7,000 to 14,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Document and NMC PIN checks, expiry alerts | 5,000 to 10,000 | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Facility portal (requests, timesheet approval by managers) | 7,000 to 16,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Payroll and invoicing connectors | 3,500 to 8,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Dashboards (fill rate, time to fill, margin per client) | 3,500 to 6,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Total | 39,000 to 78,000 | 5 to 7 months |
Health and worker data require UK GDPR compliance, Cyber Essentials Plus level security, NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit alignment where trusts are served, and full access logging. NMC PIN checks rely on the public NMC register.
Mini case study
Rachel, managing director of a healthcare staffing agency in London, receives about 2,000 shift requests a month. At a 70% fill rate, 600 shifts are lost every month. Her average gross margin is 48 GBP per 12-hour shift.
Reaching an 88% fill rate recovers 360 shifts a month, 17,280 GBP of monthly gross margin and about 207,000 GBP a year. Even counting only half of this effect to stay cautious, the gain exceeds 103,000 GBP a year. For a 60,000 GBP project with 1,100 GBP monthly running costs, payback comes in 7 to 8 months.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
Is the NMC PIN check automatic?
Yes, the PIN entered by the worker is checked against the NMC register and the grade is compared with the shift. An alert goes out 30 days before any mandatory document expires.
Do ward managers need to install anything?
No, they approve timesheets from a browser or an emailed link. Approval takes under a minute per shift on average.
Can we keep our current payroll software?
Yes, we build a connector to send approved hours. It costs 3,500 to 8,000 GBP depending on how open the payroll tool is.
How much does compliant hosting cost?
Between 260 and 700 GBP a month depending on volume, with backups and a recovery plan. Ongoing maintenance adds 440 to 870 GBP a month.
How soon will we see results?
A first release (app and matching) can ship in 3 months and run as a pilot with 10 to 15 facilities before full rollout at 5 to 7 months.
Let's scope your project. Share your shift volume, number of facilities and payroll tools: we will price a scope with a pilot within 3 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
