Association for Laboratory Medicine

What Association for Laboratory Medicine does

The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed), founded in 1953 and headquartered at 130-132 Tooley Street, London, is the leading UK professional membership organisation and certificated trade union for clinical scientists working in laboratory medicine. It operates as a company limited by guarantee with no external investors, governed by an elected Council, and rebranded from the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (ACB) around 2024-2025 to broaden its scope. Its primary constituents are clinical and biomedical scientists, medical practitioners, trainees, students, and corporate/industry partners across NHS laboratories, universities, and commercial diagnostic companies.

LabMed monetises through annual membership subscriptions (full rate plus discounted tiers for the first five consecutive years, retired, and student members, with reciprocal discounts for ACBI/ACSLM members in the Republic of Ireland), paid events and conferences including the national LabMedUK conference and residential leadership courses, and publications such as the peer-reviewed Annals of Clinical Biochemistry journal (six issues per year), LabMed News magazine, and ACB Books. Additional product lines include the Laboratory Medicine Learning Academy (a LearnWorlds-based online CPD platform), the Science Knowledge Hub (audits, guidelines, measurement verification), an AI and Informatics Special Interest Group, the Green Champions sustainability initiative, Lab Tests Online UK, and the Life in the Lab podcast.

Go-to-market is community-led, relying on professional networking, regional and national events, journal and newsletter distribution, and reciprocal partnerships with international federations (IFCC, EFLM, AACB, ADLM) and UK bodies (IBMS, RCPath, MHRA, UKAS, Science Council, UK Health Alliance on Climate Change). Trade union representation, mentoring, grants, bursaries, and accreditation co-development (notably the joint IVD Validation Guidance under ISO 15189) function as member retention layers.

Name

Association for Laboratory Medicine

Legal name

The Association for Laboratory Medicine

Website

https://labmed.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed) is a UK professional membership body and certificated trade union founded in 1953, serving clinical scientists, biomedical scientists, medical practitioners, trainees, and corporate partners in NHS, academic, and commercial diagnostic laboratories through subscriptions, conferences, publications, and CPD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association and Trade Union Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Medical Laboratory Science & Clinical Diagnostics (EDAHAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lab Analytics, Utilization Management & Operational Intelligence (HLACAMAK)

Keywords

• Professional membership organization
• Clinical laboratory science
• Trade union services
• Continuing professional development
• Scientific publications

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees from healthcare professionals including clinical scientists, biomedical scientists, medical practitioners, and trainees. Fees include full subscription and discounted rates for the first 5 consecutive years of membership. Members of ACBI and/or ACSLM in the Republic of Ireland also receive discounted rates.
2. Events and conferences: Revenue from hosting national conferences (LabMedUK), residential training courses, regional events, online courses, and leadership/management training programs.
3. Publications: Sale of professional books and textbooks covering laboratory medicine topics. The Annals of Clinical Biochemistry journal is provided to members; non-members may subscribe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed) is a UK-based non-profit professional membership body and certified trade union serving clinical scientists and laboratory medicine professionals. It provides individual and corporate membership, continuing professional development, scientific publications, conferences, and trade union representation for the laboratory medicine workforce. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in London, the organization supports career-long learning, professional standards, and advocacy on behalf of its members.

Product overview

The Association for Laboratory Medicine offers a portfolio of membership services, publications, and educational resources for clinical scientists in laboratory medicine. Core offerings include the Annals of Clinical Biochemistry journal, LabMed News magazine, and ACB Books publications. The Laboratory Medicine Learning Academy provides CPD via training modules and webinars, while the Science Knowledge Hub offers guidelines and measurement verification resources. Additional services include the AI and Informatics Special Interest Group for professional development, the Green Champions sustainability initiative, Lab Tests Online UK for patient education, and a podcast series. The organization also coordinates events, awards, research grants, and trade union representation for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides professional registration support and access to professional registration bodies
• +1 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

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational professional association partnership for cross-promotion, knowledge sharing, and collaboration in clinical biochemistry and laboratory medicine.
• American Association for Clinical Chemistry / Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation partnership enabling collaboration on standards, education, and professional development in laboratory medicine.
• European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean federation partnership providing access to EFLM Academy, e-learning platform, bursaries, research grants, and strategic conferences for members.
• International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal federation partnership enabling research proposals, travel scholarships, professional exchange programmes, AI implementation contests, and international congress access.
• UK Health Alliance on Climate ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabMed participates in this alliance of 55 health organisations representing 1.2 million healthcare professionals, advocating for net zero NHS targets and climate action.
• Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint guidance development on IVD validation, policy responses, and professional collaboration in pathology services. Collaborated on Carter Report (Pathology Transformation Review 2026).
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on joint Validation Guidance for Medical Laboratories, ensuring IVDs are fit for purpose within ISO 15189 requirements.
• United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInput on validation guidance for medical laboratories and IVD validation standards within ISO 15189 requirements.
• Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint governance statements, Carter Report collaboration, guidance on consultant clinical scientists, and joint responses to NHS policy consultations.
• British Society for ImmunologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on UK-wide workforce report on clinical immunology and allergy services within the NHS.
• British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on maintaining secure UK supply of donor animal blood used to produce culture media essential for diagnostic microbiology.
• Microbiology SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint response to Department of Health and Social Care consultation on pharmacist flexibilities when dispensing medicines.
• Science CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabMed joined Science Council statement raising concerns about changes to UK science funding and potential impact on research capability and innovation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC): The global federation of national clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine societies. IFCC operates at a broader international scope than LabMed, offering research proposals, travel scholarships, and congress access to LabMed members while setting overarching global standards that LabMed aligns with nationally.

Direct peers

• Microbiology Society: The UK professional body for microbiologists that LabMed collaborates with on policy consultations (e.g., Department of Health pharmacist flexibilities). Microbiology is one of the disciplines LabMed's 2024-2025 rebrand explicitly aims to encompass, making the Microbiology Society a direct UK peer for overlapping professional membership.
• Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath): The UK royal college for pathologists representing medically qualified pathology specialists. RCPath and LabMed jointly publish governance statements and collaborate on Carter Report responses, while both competing and overlapping in serving consultant chemical pathologists and clinical scientists in laboratory medicine.
• British Society for Immunology: The UK professional body for immunologists, collaborating with LabMed on a UK-wide workforce report on clinical immunology and allergy services. Immunology is another discipline LabMed's broadened LabMed scope explicitly targets, creating both partnership and competitive dynamics for clinical immunology professional members.
• Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM): Formerly the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), ADLM is the primary US professional body for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. LabMed holds a strategic partnership with ADLM for cross-promotion and standards collaboration, making it the most direct international counterpart serving a parallel professional constituency.
• European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM): The European federation for national clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine societies. EFLM provides LabMed members with Academy e-learning, bursaries, and strategic conferences, and the two organisations co-develop European standards—making EFLM both a strategic partner and a federation-level peer.
• Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS): The UK professional body for biomedical scientists, representing a closely overlapping membership base of laboratory professionals in NHS and healthcare settings. IBMS and LabMed are direct collaborators on IVD validation guidance and pathology policy, while competing for the same clinical scientist membership pool.
• Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB): The Australasian professional body for clinical biochemistry, holding a strategic international partnership with LabMed for cross-promotion and knowledge sharing. AACB serves an equivalent professional constituency to LabMed in a different geography, making it the most relevant regional counterpart peer.

Others

• Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: A UK medical royal college whose Glasgow-based awards body presented the Taylor Medal to a LabMed-affiliated professor for laboratory medicine contributions. While RCPE does not directly compete for LabMed's core membership, it is an adjacent professional credentialing body whose engagement signals broader UK medical establishment recognition of laboratory medicine as a specialty.
• British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA): The UK trade association for the in vitro diagnostics industry, collaborating with LabMed on supply chain issues like donor animal blood for diagnostic microbiology. BIVDA represents the industry counterpart to LabMed's professional membership, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-laboratory-medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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