NHS Support Federation

What NHS Support Federation does

NHS Support Federation is an independent, non-partisan voluntary campaign and research organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Brighton, England. Its stated mission is to protect and promote the NHS through evidence-based campaigns, journalism, and policy advocacy, with the goal of safeguarding fair and universal access to healthcare. The organization operates two core digital products: The Lowdown (lowdownnhs.info), a regular health news and analysis publication produced by journalists and researchers to raise public awareness and counter misinformation about health policy, and NHS for Sale (nhsforsale.info), a research project that tracks the scale and impact of NHS privatization by collecting contract data, profiling companies, and explaining relevant policy.

The organization's underlying technology is minimal and non-proprietary — it operates through standard websites, email newsletters, and social media channels (X/Twitter and Facebook) rather than any custom technology platform. There are no apps, APIs, or SDKs. Its business model is donation-based: the organization is funded by individual supporters (health professionals and members of the general public), grant-making trusts, and trade unions, with donations accepted via PayPal. There are no commercial products, pricing tiers, or revenue-generating services. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on content marketing, email newsletters, community organizing for local NHS campaigns, and organic social media to reach its supporter base.

The organization serves NHS supporters, health professionals, trade unions, and the general public in England, with a stated geographic restriction to England (though UK-wide implications of NHS policy give it broader relevance). It operates with 11-50 employees from its Brighton headquarters. Professor Harry Keen CBE, a GP who began practicing when the NHS was launched in 1948, founded the organization; he passed away in 2013, and the organization continues independently under its own governance.

Name

NHS Support Federation

Legal name

NHS Support Federation

Website

https://nhscampaign.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NHS Support Federation is an independent, non-partisan UK campaign and research organization founded in 1989 that protects and promotes the NHS through investigative journalism, policy research, and community organizing, serving health professionals, trade unions, and the general public in England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Policy Advocacy

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Healthcare policy advocacy
• NHS campaign research
• Public health journalism
• Healthcare privatization tracking
• Community health organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NHS Support Federation is an independent, non-partisan campaign and research organization that conducts investigations, journalism, and policy advocacy to protect and promote the UK's National Health Service. It produces two main digital publications — The Lowdown (a health news and analysis outlet) and NHS for Sale (a project tracking NHS privatization) — while also supporting local community campaign groups and engaging supporters through email and social media.

Product overview

NHS Support Federation operates as a campaign and research organization offering two main digital products: The Lowdown (health news and analysis publication) and NHS for Sale (NHS privatisation tracking resource). The organization functions as a coordination platform for NHS campaigns rather than a traditional SaaS product company. Their offerings focus on investigative journalism, evidence collection, and public awareness campaigns about NHS issues including staffing, patient safety, infrastructure, and privatisation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lowdown: A regular health news and analysis publication about the NHS, produced by journalists and researchers to raise public awareness, counter misinformation and investigate the impact of health policy.
• NHS For Sale

Products and services

• The Lowdown
• NHS for Sale A project that collects and analyzes evidence about the scale and impact of NHS privatization. Researchers track NHS contracts, profile the companies involved, and explain relevant policy. It is intended for the public, researchers, journalists, and policy advocates.

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Keep Our NHS Public: A grassroots UK campaign organization focused on defending the NHS against privatisation and underfunding. Directly comparable in mission, target audience, and advocacy tactics to NHS Support Federation.
• Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI): A UK independent think tank researching NHS privatisation, healthcare policy, and private sector involvement. Closely aligned with NHS Support Federation's NHS for Sale project in focus and methodology.
• Patients Association: An independent UK charity campaigning for patients' access to high-quality healthcare. Comparable patient-advocacy focus and nonprofit campaign model, though with a wider patient-rights scope beyond NHS structural issues.

Broad incumbents

• The King's Fund: A major independent health policy charity producing research and analysis on the NHS. Operates in the same NHS advocacy/research space but as a larger, more established think tank with broader policy remit.
• Nuffield Trust: An independent health policy think tank focused on NHS research and analysis. Comparable in producing evidence-based NHS commentary but with greater institutional standing and research resources.
• Health Foundation: An independent charity funding research and policy analysis to improve UK health and care. Operates in the same health policy research space with significantly larger financial resources and broader scope.
• British Medical Association: The UK doctors' trade union, which actively campaigns on NHS funding, staffing, and privatisation. Comparable in NHS advocacy and policy influencing but as a much larger professional membership body.
• Healthwatch England: The statutory patient champion for health and social care in England. Operates in patient advocacy and access to care with statutory backing, complementing NHS Support Federation's grassroots advocacy work.

Others

• NHS Confederation: The membership body representing NHS organisations. Engages in NHS policy advocacy and influencing but represents provider organisations rather than patient/public interests, distinguishing it from NHS Support Federation's grassroots advocacy.
• Unite the Union (Health Sector): A major UK trade union with an active health sector branch campaigning against NHS cuts and privatisation. Listed as a funding partner of NHS Support Federation and pursues complementary advocacy on NHS workforce and service issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nhs_supporters
• Facebookfacebook.com/nhssupporters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nhs-support-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NHS Support Federation