Invoice Finance for Nursing Agencies

A nursing agency pays its nurses every week, but the NHS trust or private hospital pays the agency's invoice later, on its own terms. Invoice finance lets you draw most of each invoice once the timesheet is approved and invoiced, so you can run payroll without waiting. The hospital pays as normal and the lender keeps a fee. This is the same product recruitment agencies use. Market Invoice compares UK providers, and you can get 3 free quotes through our introduction partner, a UK invoice finance provider.

Why it suits agency work

Agency invoices are simple for a lender to check. Each one rests on a timesheet with agreed hours and an agreed rate, and the buyer is often a large public body. That usually makes nursing agency invoices easier to fund than invoices for project work, where disputes are more common.

The amount you can draw rises as you place more nurses, so the funding grows with the agency.

What lenders look at

• Approved timesheets. Lenders usually fund only hours the client has signed off. Get approvals in quickly and the money follows sooner.
• Who you supply. NHS trusts and large hospital groups are usually seen as strong payers. A framework agreement shows the work is likely to continue.
• Your registration and compliance. Have your regulatory status, staff checks and contracts ready. Lenders may ask for them.
• New agencies. Some recruitment lenders work with brand new agencies, because they rely mainly on the client paying. Ask each lender about its rules for start-ups.

Lenders to compare

These lenders publish some of their terms. Sonovate's finance is aimed at recruitment businesses, so ask it whether it covers healthcare staffing. The others are general lenders, so this is a starting list, not a ranking.

Figures as published on each lender's own website, checked 14 October 2026. None of these lenders publishes its fees.

Some recruitment lenders also run payroll for you as part of the package. If you want that, ask for it in the quote. See our guide to invoice finance costs to compare quotes on the same basis.