British Thoracic Society (BTS)

What British Thoracic Society (BTS) does

The British Thoracic Society (BTS) is a UK-registered charity and professional membership organization headquartered at 17 Doughty St, London, focused on respiratory medicine. It develops and disseminates evidence-based clinical guidelines, quality standards, and clinical statements across major respiratory conditions including asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, pleural disease, pulmonary embolism, and tuberculosis, and these quality standards are endorsed by NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act (2012) framework. Beyond guideline authorship, BTS runs an educational portfolio — two annual conferences (Summer and Winter Meetings), short courses (thoracic ultrasound, radiology for chest physicians, lung transplantation, pulmonary rehabilitation, NTM management), and recurring webinars — together with clinical services including the UK ILD Registry national dataset, the MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service, national clinical audits, and the Pulmonary Nodules Risk Calculator (available as a web tool and an Apple iOS app co-developed with Cancer Research UK).

Commercially, BTS generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring membership subscriptions paid by doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals in respiratory medicine; conference, short course, and webinar registration fees (including early-bird tiers and exhibitor income); and journal access via Thorax and BMJ Open Respiratory Research with discounted author publication fees for members. Distribution is primarily direct to UK healthcare professionals, supplemented by linked membership with the European Respiratory Society for international reach. Its customer base spans NHS trusts implementing BTS guidance at the system level and individual clinicians seeking training, certification preparation, and professional development, with governance driven by a council structure, specialist advisory groups, and member committees.

Name

British Thoracic Society (BTS)

Legal name

The British Thoracic Society

Website

https://brit-thoracic.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The British Thoracic Society (BTS) is a UK-registered charity and professional membership organization that develops clinical guidelines, quality standards, and educational programs for respiratory healthcare professionals and the NHS, supported by membership subscriptions, conferences, journals, and the UK ILD Registry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Society / Respiratory Medicine

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Pulmonary Function & Respiratory Diagnostic Centers (PFT/Spirometry) (HLAFAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home Ventilation, Oxygen Therapy & Respiratory DME Clinical Management (HLAKANAM)

Keywords

• Respiratory clinical guidelines
• Medical professional society
• Respiratory healthcare education
• Clinical quality standards
• Medical conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

London, London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: BTS generates revenue through annual membership fees from healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, and other respiratory health professionals. Membership provides access to resources, journals, discounts, and professional networking.
2. Events and Conferences: Revenue from booking fees for Summer Meeting, Winter Meeting, short courses, and webinars. Includes exhibitor fees, abstract submission fees, and delegate registration with early bird discounts available.
3. Journal and Publications: Access to Thorax journal and BMJ Open Respiratory Research, with discounted author submission fees for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BTS is a professional membership society that produces evidence-based clinical guidelines, quality standards, and clinical statements for respiratory medicine, and delivers continuing professional education through short courses, webinars, and the annual Summer and Winter Meetings. It operates the UK ILD Registry, runs national clinical audits, provides the MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service, and publishes the Thorax journal and BMJ Open Respiratory Research. Membership is restricted to healthcare professionals working in respiratory health, with resources accessible primarily to NHS clinicians across the UK.

Product overview

The British Thoracic Society operates as a professional society offering a portfolio of clinical resources, educational services, and data platforms for respiratory healthcare professionals. The core offerings include evidence-based clinical guidelines, quality standards, and clinical statements covering conditions such as asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Educational services comprise short courses, webinars, and annual conferences (Summer and Winter Meetings). Technical tools include the Pulmonary Nodules Risk Calculator (web and iOS app) developed with Cancer Research UK, the UK ILD Registry for clinical data, and the MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service. The society also publishes the Thorax journal and BMJ Open Respiratory Research, and provides clinical audit programs for quality improvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BTS Clinical Guidelines Evidence-based clinical guidelines covering respiratory conditions including asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, pleural disease, pulmonary embolism, and tuberculosis, providing clinical recommendations for healthcare professionals.
• BTS Quality Standards Measurable markers of good practice in respiratory care across multiple conditions including asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, pulmonary rehabilitation, pleural disease, and tuberculosis, designed to improve quality of patient care.
• BTS Clinical Statements Clinical position documents on specific respiratory topics including chronic cough, aspergillus-related lung disease, pulmonary rehabilitation, MDR-TB, tobacco dependency, and occupational asthma.
• BTS Clinical Audits National clinical audit programs covering tobacco dependency, EBUS, respiratory support, NIV, pneumonia, and smoking cessation to monitor and improve care standards across UK hospitals.
• UK ILD Registry National dataset collecting data on interstitial lung diseases across UK hospitals, providing research insights and clinical data for ILD management.
• BTS MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service Expert clinical advice service for healthcare professionals managing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases in the UK.
• Pulmonary Nodules Risk Calculator Web-based risk prediction tool developed with Cancer Research UK, offering Brock Model, Herder Model, and Volume Doubling Time calculators to assist clinicians in diagnosing and managing pulmonary nodules.
• Pulmonary Nodule Risk iOS App iOS mobile application developed with Cancer Research UK to support healthcare professionals in calculating pulmonary nodule malignancy risk at point of care on Apple devices.
• BTS Short Courses In-person and online training courses for respiratory professionals covering thoracic ultrasound, radiology for chest physicians, lung transplantation, pulmonary rehabilitation, NTM management, and asthma.
• BTS Webinars Online educational webinars on topics including biologics in respiratory medicine, BTS/NICE/SIGN joint asthma guidelines, pulmonary rehabilitation, pleural disease, and chronic cough.
• BTS Summer Meeting 2026 Annual conference bringing together respiratory professionals for education, research presentation, networking, and exhibition opportunities.
• BTS Winter Meeting 2026 Annual conference bringing together respiratory professionals for education, research presentation, networking, and exhibition opportunities.
• BTS Membership Program Professional membership providing respiratory healthcare professionals with access to guidelines, education, conferences, journals, awards, and opportunities to contribute to BTS committees and specialist advisory groups.
• Thorax Journal International peer-reviewed journal published in partnership with BMJ, covering respiratory medicine, immunology, and thoracic surgery research.
• BMJ Open Respiratory Research Open-access peer-reviewed journal publishing research in all aspects of respiratory medicine and related conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• BTS backs historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTS collaborates with NICE on joint asthma guideline webinars and endorses NICE quality standards. BTS guidelines and quality standards are recognized within the UK healthcare framework alongside NICE guidance.
• SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTS partners with SIGN for joint asthma guideline webinars, combining respiratory expertise across UK nations.
• Cancer Research UKcoreTechnology or IntegrationBTS collaborated with Cancer Research UK to develop a pulmonary nodule risk calculator app for Apple iOS, supporting healthcare professionals in pulmonary nodule diagnosis and management.
• Property CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTS partnered with Property Care on a joint webinar addressing the health risks of damp and mould, demonstrating cross-sector collaboration on environmental health issues.
• European Respiratory SocietycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBTS offers linked membership with the European Respiratory Society, providing international opportunities and resources for UK respiratory professionals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/british-thoracic-society

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 British Thoracic Society (BTS)