Arabella Health Staffing Ltd - a wholly-owned subsidiary of The A24 Group Ltd, which operates as the A24 Group of medical staffing agencies – has acquired BNA, The British Nursing Association, and its associated nursing agency brands Grosvenor Nursing and Mayfair Nurses. Pinnacle Staffing Group Plc, the owner of BNA, has accepted an offer for a consideration in cash of £2,750,000 subject to shareholder approval.

The A24 Group achieved turnover of £71 million last year (y/e 30 June 2009). There are no outside investors or loan capital funds.

Penny Streeter OBE, founder and managing director says: “The acquisition confirms our confidence in and commitment to the UK medical staffing sector. BNA, Grosvenor Nursing and Mayfair Nurses agencies will operate alongside our existing and highly successful agency brands Ambition 24hours, Nursing Services, Locum Services and Arabella Health.

“The A24 Group, with its leading position in supplying nurses and other medical staff to the NHS and other clients at short notice, is pre-eminently positioned to develop BNA by incorporating the associated agency brands into our existing operations. They will benefit from our management and ICT expertise, and commitment to training and safety, which has produced record company growth in the sector.”

The A24 Group supplies locum doctors, agency nurses, AHPs and HCA care assistants to healthcare service organisations, including hospitals and primary care providers, prisons and care homes, insurance and other companies. A24 Direct is a home nursing agency, helping patients with personal and domestic tasks, and also offering specialist care from qualified nurses.

Penny Streeter, OBE, founded Ambition 24hours in Sutton, Surrey, in 1996, working with just her mother Marion, and no staff or funding. It was one of the first UK nursing agencies to offer a 24-7, 365-day service. The company still has no outside funding or investors.

The A24 Group has invested in advanced training and bespoke IT systems, developed by in-house teams, to meet both the needs of candidate agency staff and healthcare employers, consistently and safely. The agency is able to match requirements by job location, required candidate qualifications and work experience, at very short notice.

Managing director Penny Streeter was awarded the OBE in the 2006 New Years Honours for ‘services to enterprise’ and was the CBI Entrepreneur of the Year, 2003. A24 Group has been listed in the Fast Track 100 ‘Fastest Growing UK Companies’ in three years, and was ranked No.1 in 2002.

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