Healthcare Infection Society

What Healthcare Infection Society does

Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1158172) founded in 1980 and headquartered in London, dedicated to the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). It serves a community of more than 1,300 IPC professionals — including medical microbiology and virology trainees, infectious diseases specialists, Directors of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPCs), IPC nurses, and clinical scientists — through a combination of peer-reviewed publishing, training, guideline development, research funding, and conferences.

The society's core products are two editorially independent journals (the subscription Journal of Hospital Infection, impact factor 8.944, published by Elsevier, and the gold open-access Infection Prevention in Practice) and a structured education portfolio comprising the Trainee Education Programme, the IPC Leaders' Development Programme, the jointly developed HIS/UKHSA Foundation Course in IPC, IPC Training Days, and Guidelines and Evidence Courses. Education is delivered through a dedicated HIS eLearning platform (self-paced modules, multiple-choice assessments, and live online workshops via Zoom) alongside in-person conferences such as the HIS Annual Conference (HISCON), FIS International, and Building Safer Hospitals. The technology footprint is a conventional online learning platform rather than AI-enabled tooling.

HIS generates revenue through individual membership subscriptions (medical professionals, trainees, nurses, clinical scientists), institutional journal subscriptions brokered by Elsevier, training course fees (e.g., £400–£600 member rates for Foundation Course tiers; £175–£325 for guideline/economics courses), and open-access article processing charges on IPIP. Distribution is primarily direct and digital (website, membership portal, Elsevier platform, eLearning), with events serving as a major demand-generation channel. The society also funds research through Small and Major Research Grants (up to £99,000), Travel Grants, Public Engagement Grants, and named lectures (Lowbury, Gary French), and holds strategic partnerships with UKHSA, the Infection Prevention Society, NHS England, the Royal College of Pathologists, and NICE (until July 2024).

Name

Healthcare Infection Society

Legal name

Healthcare Infection Society

Website

https://his.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Healthcare Infection Society is a UK-registered charity (founded 1980) serving 1,300+ infection prevention and control professionals through peer-reviewed journals (JHI, IPIP), accredited training programmes, evidence-based guidelines, research grants, and international conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Association Services

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital Epidemiology & Infection Prevention (HLAKAGAF)

Keywords

• Infection prevention education
• Healthcare-associated infections
• Professional medical training
• Clinical guidelines development
• Peer-reviewed medical journals

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Charitable membership organization with membership categories for medical professionals, trainees, nurses, clinical scientists, and others with professional interest in HCAls
2. Journal Subscriptions: Primary income from institutional subscriptions to the Journal of Hospital Infection (JHI), brokered by Elsevier. Income directly reinvested into HIS running costs, grants, and training programmes
3. Course Fees: Revenue from training courses including Foundation Courses (£600 member, £750 non-member), guidelines courses (£175-£325), and other educational programs
4. Open Access Article Processing Charges: IPIP journal generates APC revenue; JHI operates hybrid model with both subscription and open access content

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) is a UK-based registered charity that advances the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) through peer-reviewed publishing, professional training courses, evidence-based guidelines, conferences, and research grants. It operates a membership network of over 1,300 IPC experts and produces two journals (Journal of Hospital Infection and Infection Prevention in Practice) plus an extensive portfolio of CPD-accredited training and certification programmes.

Product overview

The Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) is a charitable membership organization that provides a comprehensive portfolio of products and services focused on infection prevention and control (IPC) and healthcare-associated infections. The core offerings include two peer-reviewed journals—the Journal of Hospital Infection (JHI) and the open access Infection Prevention in Practice (IPIP)—alongside an extensive education and training programme comprising the Trainee Education Programme, IPC Leaders Development Programme, HIS/UKHSA Foundation Course in IPC, IPC Training Days, and Guidelines and Evidence Courses. HIS also publishes NICE-accredited clinical guidelines, operates an eLearning platform for blended and self-paced learning, hosts major conferences (FIS International and Building Safer Hospitals), awards professional certificates, and funds research through grants, fellowships, and named lectures (Lowbury Lecture, Gary French Lecture). Membership exceeds 1,300 experts in the field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Journal of Hospital Infection: The society's flagship journal publishing research on infection prevention and control, published by Elsevier.
• Infection Prevention in Practice
• FIS (Federation of Infection Societies Conference)

Products and services

• Journal of Hospital Infection (JHI) The society's flagship peer-reviewed journal publishing research on infection prevention and control, hospital infection epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship. Available via institutional subscription; HIS members receive free access to paywalled content. Impact factor reached a highest-ever 8.944.
• Infection Prevention in Practice (IPIP) Gold open access journal focusing on global infection prevention and control, including content relevant to lower-income countries and emerging economies. Freely available to all readers online; operated under a hybrid open access model with APC revenue.
• Trainee Education Programme Structured education programme aligned to JRCPTB and RCPath curricula for medical microbiology, medical virology, and infectious diseases trainees. Comprises one-day training sessions across a three-year period, free for HIS Trainee and Associate trainee members.
• IPC Leaders Development Programme Series of one-day events aimed at current or aspiring Directors of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPCs) and Deputy DIPCs, providing advanced-level training aligned with the NHSE IPC Education Framework.
• HIS/UKHSA Foundation Course in IPC Comprehensive five-module course jointly developed with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), available in blended (live online with self-led learning) or fully self-led formats. Covers HCAI prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, outbreak investigation, hospital hygiene, and surveillance, aligned to Foundation and Enhanced levels of the NHSE IPC Education Framework.
• Foundation Certificate in Infection Prevention and Control Professional certificate recognising sustained commitment to professional development in IPC. Requires attendance at 7 distinct IPC Training Days plus completion of the HIS/UKHSA Foundation Course.
• IPC Training Days Rolling programme of nine independent one-day training sessions covering core IPC topics including decontamination, public health aspects, environmental IPC, critical care settings, and antimicrobial resistance. Aligned to Foundation and Enhanced levels of the NHSE IPC Education Framework.
• Guidelines and Evidence Courses Professional development courses covering guideline development methodology, including introduction to guideline development, understanding network meta-analysis, and health economic evaluation. Aligned to Enhanced and Advanced levels of the NHSE IPC Education Framework.
• FIS International Conference Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) International Conference, the largest UK-hosted international infection conference held annually. Serves as a key event for professionals in infection prevention and control, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, and biomedical science.
• Building Safer Hospitals Conference BEIPI (Built Environment Infection Prevention and Control Initiative) conference focused on embedding infection prevention into every stage of healthcare building design and construction.
• Evidence-Based Guidelines and Guidance NICE-accredited clinical guidelines and guidance documents produced by multidisciplinary working parties on infection prevention and control and healthcare-associated infections, developed through systematic review and public consultation processes. Produced by over 70 working parties resulting in over 40 working party reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• JHI impact factor of 8.944 - highest ever achieved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Infection Prevention Society (IPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2023Collaborative partnership between HIS and IPS to enhance and advance the NHSE Infection Prevention and Control education framework. Joint effort aims to strengthen healthcare systems' capabilities in preventing and managing infections. Focus areas include developing comprehensive educational resources, promoting knowledge sharing, and empowering healthcare professionals.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2023Support for the newly released Education Framework for the Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner (IPC) Workforce. Collaboration to deliver comprehensive educational resources aligned with distinct levels of practice described in the Education Framework.
• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the HIS/UKHSA Foundation Course in IPC launched on the new HIS eLearning platform. Course available in full programme (with live online sessions) and on-demand self-paced learning formats.
• ElseviercoreOthersPublisher of the Journal of Hospital Infection and Infection Prevention in Practice. Institutional subscriptions to JHI are brokered by Elsevier. Income from subscriptions directly reinvested into HIS running costs, grants, and training programmes.
• Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath)supportingOthersCPD accreditation for HIS training courses. HIS training courses are accredited by RCPath for continuing professional development credits (e.g., 5 CPD credits for various courses).
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)supportingOthersNICE provided accreditation for HIS guideline development methodology until the accreditation programme closed in July 2024. HIS guidelines continue to conform to AGREE II indicators of quality.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Federation of Infection Control (IFIC): Global federation of IPC societies and professionals that publishes the Journal of Infection Prevention and runs international training and congress activities, directly comparable in mission and global IPC focus to HIS.
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA): US-based professional society for healthcare epidemiologists with highly comparable focus on infection prevention, healthcare-associated infections, guidelines, training, and journals (e.g., Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology). Operates as a direct peer in the IPC professional society space.
• Infection Prevention Society: UK-based professional society dedicated to infection prevention and control, directly comparable to HIS in mission, audience (IPC nurses, DIPCs, microbiologists), and offerings (training, conferences, member benefits). The recent HIS–IPS partnership on the NHSE IPC Education Framework highlights direct overlap and collaboration.
• British Infection Association (BIA): UK-based professional association for clinicians in infectious diseases and infection prevention, with overlapping membership, training events, and guideline activity that make it a natural peer to HIS within the British clinical infection community.
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC): Largest US-based professional association for infection preventionists, offering comparable training, certification, conferences, and member services to HIS. Directly competes for IPC mindshare in the English-speaking professional market.

Regional players

• Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC): Australia/New Zealand IPC professional body that delivers training, conferences, and credentials in a different geography. Comparable mission and offerings but operates regionally rather than competing directly in the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA): Large US-based professional society for infectious diseases physicians with broader clinical scope than HIS, but overlapping membership, journal portfolio (e.g., Clinical Infectious Diseases), and guideline activity make it a broad incumbent peer in the infection professional space.
• European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID): Europe-wide society for clinical microbiology and infectious diseases with a much broader mandate and the ECCMID congress. Comparable to HIS as a European infection professional body but operating at greater scale and a wider scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HIS_infection

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Healthcare Infection Society