The Institute of Biomedical Science

Working with partners

The Institute works in partnership with a number of fellow organisations, bodies and a plethora of working groups, committees and programmes set up with other organisations, the government or the Department of Health. 

Academy of Medical Laboratory Science (AMLS)
The IBMS has close links with AMLS.

Association of Biomedical Andrologists
The IBMS and ABA have developed a specialist portfolio to standardise training in the andrologist workforce.

Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB)
The IBMS, ACB and Royal College of Pathologists worked together on the accreditation and training of personnel working in point of care testing locations and the potential liabilities involved with this type of service. The two organisations also met to discuss the Carter and Darzi reports, healthcare science, Modernising Scientific Careers, Labs are Vital and Clinical Pathology Accreditation.

Association of Clinical Pathologists (ACP)
The IBMS works with the ACP on issues such as Labs are Vital, best practice guidelines, Carter report and Clinical Pathology Accreditation.

Association for Anatomical Pathology Technology (AAPT)
The Institute provides secretarial support for AAPT (UK) and has a mutual recognition policy for CPD activities with the AAPT.

British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA)
The IBMS and BIVDA work together on common issues.

British Society for Clinical Cytology (BSCC)
The IBMS provides administrative support for the BSCC and works with it and the National Association of Cytologists on the National Cervical Cytology Education & Training Committee (NCCETC).

British Blood Transfusion Society (BBTS)
The IBMS and BBTS have a mutual recognition policy for CPD activities. The training schemes of the BBTS and BSHI are also incorporated into the Institute's specialist portfolios. The IBMS and BBTS have developed specialist level qualifications to recognise professional practice in emerging areas of transfusion science and histocompatibility/immunogenetics.

British Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (BSHI)
The IBMS and BSHI developed qualifications in histocompatibility and immunogenetics and incorporated its training schemes into the Institute's specialist portfolios.

Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA)
The CPA externally audits and accredits laboratories against defined standards of practice which are confirmed by peer review. The IBMS is one of six shareholders in the CPA with two representatives from IBMS Council sitting on the CPA board.

College of Biomedical Science
The College of Biomedical Science is an independent organisation established to determine the value of the Institute’s professional qualifications through the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS).

Faculty of Public Health Medicine (FPHM)
The FPHM has a mutual recognition policy for CPD activities with the IBMS.

Federation for Healthcare Science (FHCS)
The Federation for Healthcare Science is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of 40 groups collectively known as healthcare scientists, including biomedical scientists.

Health Protection Agency (HPA)
The HPA is dedicated to protecting the public’s health and reducing the impact of infectious diseases, chemical hazards, poisons and radiation hazards by bringing together health and scientific professionals as well as working in public health, communicable disease, emergency planning, infection control, laboratories, poisons, chemical and radiation hazards. Many of its staff are IBMS members, while the Institute's region and branch network, as well as microbiology and virology groups have links with the HPA network.

Health Professions Council (HPC)
The HPC is an independent, UK-wide regulatory body responsible for setting and maintaining standards of professional training, performance and conduct of the healthcare professions that it regulates, including biomedical science. The Institute works with the HPC to develop policy that will protect the patient and improve standards of practice in biomedical science.

Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (HUCBMS)
HUCBMS represents the interests of universities and colleges at a national and international level to promote quality in biomedical science teaching and research. HUCBMS work closely with the IBMS on the accreditation of BSc (Honours) and MSc degree courses in biomedical science as well as other education and training matters.

Joint Working Group for Quality Assurance (JWG)
JWG is an independent group responsible to the Royal College of Pathologists and the IBMS for the oversight of performance in external quality assurance schemes. Procedures are designed to provide the necessary safeguards in relation to the quality assurance of laboratory medicine without having to resort to mandatory licensing within a legislative framework.

Labs are Vital
Labs are Vital aims to promote the role and significance of laboratory medicine services in healthcare to everyone in the healthcare chain – clinicians, patients, trust and PCT managers, administrators, commissioners and politicians.

National Association for Phlebotomists (NAP)
The Institute provides secretarial support for the NAP and has a mutual recognition policy for CPD activities.

The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath)
The RCPath promotes excellence in the practice of pathology and maintains standards through training, examinations and professional development. The IBMS and the College work together on many projects and issues.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
The IBMS and RPS have worked on developing a framework for pharmacists involved in current and future testing that would develop training programmes, protocols, regulation, quality and standards.

Royal Microscopical Society (RMS)
An IBMS-RMS joint working party administers a certificate in flow cytometry.

The Science Council
The IBMS participates in a number of The Science Council’s committees and activities, including registration, careers in science, CPD, inspections and assessments.
 
Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)
The Institute supports biomedical scientist volunteers working overseas for the VSO.