Royal Society for Public Health

What Royal Society for Public Health does

Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is an independent UK charity registered in England & Wales (1125949) and Scotland (SC040750), headquartered at John Snow House, 59 Mansell Street, London. Tracing its origins to 1856 and the public health reforms of Victorian London, RSPH adopted its current name in October 2008 following the merger of the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH) and the Royal Society of Health (RSH). It self-describes as the world's oldest public health agency and operates as a multi-product public health platform serving the UK workforce and an international member base.

The organisation's core products are centred on regulated qualifications and training. RSPH operates a portfolio of more than 100 qualifications and courses spanning the breadth of public health, delivered through the RSPH Learn LMS digital education platform, an approved qualification centre network of UK schools, colleges and employers, and direct individual enrolment. Supporting products include the Diploma in Occupational Medicine, Public Health Pathways (a career development framework), online courses, accreditation services for external programmes (such as the NxtGen Researcher Training Programme accredited in June 2026), and consultancy services. Membership is structured across Fellow, Member, Associate, Student and Corporate tiers, anchored by the RSPH Connect social forum and supported by three peer-reviewed academic journals (Public Health and Perspectives in Public Health), the Spread the Health podcast, an annual Health & Wellbeing Awards programme, and advocacy campaigns including Healthy Places and Public Health Workforce Week.

RSPH's business model combines membership fees, qualification and centre fees, accreditation fees, event and webinar income, consultancy fees, publication sales, and programme grants or partnerships with public sector bodies. Strategic partnerships have included the NHS England Making Every Contact Count programme (2019-2024) and a Department of Health partnership that engaged over 90% of pharmacies in England in the Healthy Living Pharmacies scheme (2017-2019), alongside ongoing co-development work with Mental Health First Aid England, the British Pest Control Association, Pall Medical and the University of Southampton's LifeLab. The organisation employs 11-50 staff and serves a global membership community of more than 6,500 public health professionals across disciplines and settings.

Name

Royal Society for Public Health

Legal name

Royal Society for Public Health

Website

https://rsph.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Royal Society for Public Health is an independent UK charity and the world's oldest public health agency. It delivers 100+ regulated qualifications, training and accreditation via RSPH Learn LMS, alongside membership services to 6,500+ professionals, peer-reviewed journals, advocacy campaigns and consultancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Education and Training

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Public health qualifications
• Public health training
• Professional membership services
• Health workforce education
• Public health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RSPH is an independent charity that provides public health education, training and professional recognition through more than 100 qualifications and courses, supported by a membership community of 6,500+ professionals and complemented by peer-reviewed journals, accreditation, consultancy and policy advocacy.

Product overview

Royal Society for Public Health operates as an independent charity and the world's oldest public health agency, offering a multi-faceted portfolio of education, membership, publications, and advocacy services. The core offering centres on over 100 qualifications and training programmes (accessed via RSPH Learn LMS), complemented by membership services (including RSPH Connect community forum), three peer-reviewed academic journals, a podcast (Spread the Health), events, awards, accreditation services, and consultancy. The organisation serves over 6,000 members across various tiers and influences public health policy through campaigns like Healthy Places and Public Health Workforce Week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSPH Qualifications and Training Portfolio of more than 100 industry-regulated qualifications and courses spanning the breadth of public health, delivered to individuals via the RSPH Learn LMS and through an approved network of qualification centres. Designed for public health professionals seeking accredited qualifications and career advancement.
• RSPH Membership Services Tiered professional membership programme (Fellow, Member, Associate, Student, Corporate) offering postnominal recognition, access to RSPH Connect social forum, journals, events, CPD and a global community of 6,500+ professionals.
• RSPH Learn LMS Online learning management system that hosts RSPH's e-learning portfolio and digital training packages, providing self-serve access to public health courses and CPD content.
• RSPH Connect Online membership community and social forum enabling networking and knowledge sharing among RSPH's 6,500+ public health professional members.
• Diploma in Occupational Medicine Professional diploma qualification providing the foundation for career development in occupational medicine for doctors and allied health professionals.
• Peer-reviewed Academic Journals Three peer-reviewed academic journals (including Public Health and Perspectives in Public Health) publishing relevant and ethical research for the global public health community, available to members and institutional subscribers.
• Spread the Health Podcast Podcast exploring how environment influences health, featuring expert guests from various sectors and examining barriers to building a healthier future; distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.
• Accreditation Services Accreditation service for external training programmes and initiatives, such as the NxtGen Researcher Training Programme from LifeLab, University of Southampton.
• Consultancy Services Advisory and consultancy services helping organisations across the public, private and social sectors deliver better health outcomes and design public health programmes.
• Health and Wellbeing Awards

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between RSPH and NHS England for the Making Every Contact Count programme (2019-2024), which trained more than 2,500 primary and community care staff across the North of England to deliver brief health-promoting conversations on mental health, menopause, and physical activity.
• Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Department of Health to design and implement the registration and quality assurance scheme for Healthy Living Pharmacies, which engaged over 90% of pharmacies in England to embed health promotion into core service delivery between 2017 and 2019.
• Mental Health First Aid EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for developing new qualifications in mental health and related public health areas, working with key stakeholders to ensure qualifications remain valid, up-to-date and fit for purpose.
• British Pest Control AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for developing the first regulated qualifications in pest control careers, including developing qualifications in new and emerging areas of public health.
• Pall MedicalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organisation supporting RSPH's water webinar programme, including the Practical Water Outbreak Management and Clinical and Environmental Surveillance in Healthcare webinar.
• LifeLab, University of SouthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSPH accredited the NxtGen Researcher Training Programme from LifeLab, University of Southampton. The programme supports learners to undertake robust research and drive changes which are meaningful in their community.
• Housing 21minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Roberts, RSPH Chief Executive, serves as Non-Executive Director of Housing 21, connecting public health with housing provision for vulnerable populations.
• POBLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Roberts, RSPH Chief Executive, serves as Non-Executive Director of POBL, a Welsh housing and care provider, integrating public health with housing and care services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization: Global public health body with overlapping mission in workforce development, health promotion, and policy advocacy, but operating at international governmental scale rather than as a charity.
• UK Health Security Agency: Government executive agency responsible for public health protection in the UK; a broader institutional incumbent with overlapping public health mission but vastly larger scale and statutory authority.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: UK public body providing evidence-based guidance and quality standards across health and social care, an adjacent broader incumbent with overlapping influence on public health policy and workforce practice.

Direct peers

• Institute of Health Promotion and Education: UK professional association for health promotion and education specialists, with overlapping credentials, conferences, and advocacy scope into public health practice.
• Society for Public Health Education: US-based professional society focused on public health education, training, and workforce development, with overlapping mission around health promotion credentials and advocacy.
• Royal Society of Medicine: UK-based professional membership organization offering CPD, events, and education across health disciplines, with a similar operating model to RSPH of membership tiers, publishing, and event programming.
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health: UK professional body awarding credentials and providing membership in environmental and public health, operating a comparable model of professional recognition, qualifications, and advocacy.
• American Public Health Association: The largest US public health professional association with a comparable mix of membership, peer-reviewed publications (American Journal of Public Health), advocacy, and continuing education.
• Faculty of Public Health: UK professional body for public health specialists that sets standards for the public health workforce, comparable to RSPH's role as a membership and qualifications body for the broader public health workforce.

Emerging players

• Royal College of Nursing: UK professional body and trade union for nursing with a large membership, CPD portfolio, and policy influence that intersects with RSPH's workforce training and advocacy in adjacent health professions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/r_s_p_h
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/royal-society-for-public-health
• Instagraminstagram.com/rspublichealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/royalsocietyforpublichealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Royal Society for Public Health