Locate a Locum secures 3-year contract with Well Pharmacy

Pictured (L-R) are George McKinney, Interim Chief Development Officer, Invest NI and Jonny Clarke, CEO, Locate a Locum

Belfast software firm, Locate a Locum has secured a 3-year contract with Well Pharmacy, the second largest pharmacy chain in Great Britain.  

The company’s software, LAL Unlimited, helps over 8,000 pharmacies across the UK to find locum pharmacists at short notice to help cover leave or staff illness.

This contract is the latest success for the company, which has developed its software with Research and Development support from Invest Northern Ireland.

Jonny Clarke, CEO at Locate a Locum, said: “Since we established in 2016 we have grown from a small team of two to having 65 employees. Invest NI’s latest support has helped us to take our software development a step further by integrating AI, making it more efficient and user-friendly. With a bigger technical and management team, we have been able to successfully commercialise the software and secure new business, such as this contract with Well Pharmacy.”

Invest NI has worked with Locate a Locum since 2016, providing R&D support to develop its software and to help it use AI to complete complex identity checks. It also offered support to create 14 jobs focused on developing sales and marketing capabilities in external markets in 2024.

George McKinney, Interim Chief Development Officer, Invest NI said: "Investing in R&D helps companies to succeed by driving innovation, increasing productivity and developing cutting-edge technologies that open up new markets and customers. Our R&D support has helped Locate a Locum to continuously develop its software, this time with AI, so that it can expand its customer base outside of Northern Ireland. 

“Supporting companies to invest in innovation and reap the benefits of AI is a key priority for Invest NI as we work to build a prosperous and globally competitive economy.”  

The company works within the healthcare sector with key customers including Boots, Superdrug and Asda.  

Jonny Clarke added: “Over the next year, we want to build upon this success and consolidate our position as a market leader in the pharmacy sector. Recently, we have expanded into the retail optometry sector and hope to use this as a launchpad to break into new verticals. With this growth, we also plan to expand our team to win more new business in GB and RoI.”  

Invest NI’s R&D support for this project was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs (2014-2020) Programme.