Company History

A24Group's rich history began in 1996 when Penny Streeter OBE and Marion Hewson identified a critical gap in the nursing agency market for high-quality staffing round the clock. With their pioneering vision, they launched Ambition 24hours, which quickly grew to become one of the UK's fastest-growing companies. The agency's revolutionary mantra of "If you can get a pizza, why not a nurse?" has since become a hallmark of A24Group's exceptional service.  

Today, A24Group operates in both the UK and South Africa, with Ambition24hours, The British Nursing Association, The Nursing Services of the UK, Mayfair Specialist Nurses and Grosvenor Nursing making up its impressive portfolio. The group has successfully provided reliable, skilled staff in remote areas with minimal notice, cementing its position as England's first 24-hour nursing agency. 

As a specialist staffing provider, A24Group has invested significantly in software to enhance communication with clients, candidates, and shift rotations. With its cutting-edge tech platform, Staffshift, the group manages its operations with unmatched efficiency. A24Group's innovative approach to delivering exceptional staffing solutions and services sets it apart from the rest, earning it a reputation as an industry leader. 

1996 Established, 24-hour nursing, UK branches

Ambition24hours was launched in 1996 as a temporary staffing agency to meet for the first time the need for a 24-hour staffing service in the nursing sector. Following rapid growth, over the next decade the company expanded the service to cover locum doctors, allied health professionals, carers, social workers and teachers and lecturers, and we established a national network of UK branch offices. 

2004 Expanding into South Africa

In 2004, the A24Group expanded into South Africa, opening back-office facilities for the UK and SA markets. We also launched an £11 million ($17.25 million), three-year investment plan in South Africa, based at 130,000 sq ft (12,000 m²) freehold premises acquired in Cape Town. We also initialised locum and nursing agency services in South Africa: 2004 marked the launch of domiciliary home care services, to provide private nursing and care giver directly to people at home for post-operative, geriatric, paediatric and other care. 

2006 Our first major acquisition: NSSA

In 2006, the company made its first major acquisition: that of South African agency NSSA (Nursing Services of South Africa), the largest provider of temporary nursing personnel in the country, supplying over 3,000 staff each month. A second office opened at 50 on Long Street, Cape Town. 

2009 More service agencies and offices

In 2009, Nursing Services of the UK was launched. Today, the A24Group is a multi-million-dollar medical staff recruitment and management organisation operating with multiple brands in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The A24Group has interviewers based nationally throughout the two countries and employs over 300 office staff across the world, with 27,500 personnel on its books - locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, care givers, teachers and social workers for major institutional service providers in two continents. 

2010 We expand even more

Arabella Health Staffing Ltd - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the A24Group – 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, accepted an offer for a consideration in cash of £2,750,000. 

2023 We’re still going strong

Throughout the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the A24Group continued to deliver exceptional services to clients and agency staff. Proving that we have the drive, infrastructure and determine to succeed. The group looks forward to a future of further opportunity and growth, in support of clients, candidates and patients.