British and Irish Orthoptic Society

What British and Irish Orthoptic Society does

The British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) is the sole professional body and trade union for orthoptists across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1937 and structured as a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, BIOS is headquartered in Birmingham and operates with 11-50 employees. Its core purpose is maintaining clinical and scientific standards in orthoptics, representing the profession in national policy and workforce strategy, and supporting orthoptists through their careers — from free pre-registration student membership through to advanced and consultant practitioners. It is affiliated with the Allied Health Professionals Federation (12 bodies, 158,000+ workers), the International Orthoptic Association, the Orthoptic Council of Europe, and the 18-union NHS coalition representing over 1 million health workers. UK members automatically join BOSTU (British Orthoptic Society Trade Union), the only UK trade union run by and for orthoptists.

BIOS generates revenue through tiered annual membership subscriptions (free students, £80.20-£441.39/year practising tiers depending on jurisdiction), conference and event delegate fees (BIOS Annual Conference and CPD webinars/regional meetings), and exclusive insurance products administered via James Hallam brokers (£2.5M per claim medical liability, £5M public liability). Customer segments span registered orthoptists (regulated by HCPC in the UK and CORU in Ireland), orthoptic clinical assistants and support workforce, academic educators, advanced practitioners, and pre-registration students at partner universities.

The core technology platform is PERL (Placement Expansion Resource Library), a secure web portal hosting pseudonymised patient video recordings and clinical teaching materials, delivered through Vimeo with 256-bit SSL encryption and complemented by Microsoft HoloLens 2 devices (BitLocker AES-XTS-256 encryption) that enable live streaming of patient assessments from NHS Trusts to participating universities. Supporting technology infrastructure includes Microsoft 365, WPEngine cloud hosting, and CRM/website services via Douglass Digital. Beyond PERL, BIOS publishes the open-access British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ), issues a fortnightly Parallel Vision e-zine, runs the Orthoptic Education Fund (grants up to £1,500), provides BIOS Legal Services (employment law, wills, conveyancing), and co-funds the UK Eye Care Data Hub with the College of Optometrists, Royal College of Ophthalmologists, ABDO, the Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, and the Department of Health Northern Ireland.

Name

British and Irish Orthoptic Society

Legal name

British and Irish Orthoptic Society

Website

https://orthoptics.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) is the sole professional body and trade union for orthoptists across the UK and Republic of Ireland, providing membership services, clinical education (including the PERL platform and HoloLens streaming), exclusive liability insurance, trade union representation, and co-funded data and research infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham, West Midlands

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from orthoptists, clinical assistants, students, and retired professionals across UK and Ireland. Tiers range from free student membership to £441.39/year for full UK members. Multiple payment options including monthly Direct Debit.
2. Conference and Events: BIOS Annual Conference and other professional development events generate revenue through delegate fees. Payment accepted via BACS, credit/debit card, or invoice.
3. Insurance Services: Exclusive insurance coverage for members including Medical & Professional Liability Insurance (£2.5 million per claim, £5 million total) and Public Liability Insurance (£5 million). Administered through James Hallam insurance brokers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

BIOS operates as the sole professional body and trade union for orthoptists in the UK and Ireland, providing tiered individual membership (Student, Full UK/ROI, Academic, Support Workforce, Graduate, Retired, Overseas) with benefits including exclusive medical and public liability insurance, BOSTU trade union representation, continuing professional development, and clinical education resources. Its portfolio includes the award-winning PERL secure web portal (with HoloLens-enabled live streaming), the open-access British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ), the annual BIOS Conference, Orthoptic Education Fund grants, and BIOS Legal Services.

Product overview

The British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) operates as a professional body and trade union offering a comprehensive membership-based service portfolio. The core offering centres on BIOS Membership, which provides insurance, professional liability protection, and trade union representation. Key products include the award-winning PERL (Placement Expansion Resource Library) secure web portal for clinical education resources including video recordings, the British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ), Parallel Vision e-zine, and BIOS Conference as flagship events. Supporting services encompass the Orthoptic Education Fund grants, BIOS Legal Services, Clinical Advisory Groups networks, and a CPD Library. BIOS also runs the HoloLens Live Streaming initiative enabling NHS Trusts to record and stream patient assessments for educational use. The trade union arm (BOSTU) advocates for members on pay and working conditions, while awareness campaigns include World Orthoptic Day, #WePatch, and #ProudToBeAnOrthoptist initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Insurance coverage of £2.5 million per claim (£5 million total) for Medical & Professional Liability and £5 million for Public Liability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Allied Health Professionals FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS is affiliated to the Allied Health Professionals Federation, a group of 12 bodies representing over 158,000 workers in the UK healthcare sector.
• International Orthoptic Association (IOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS is a member of the International Orthoptic Association. All BIOS members automatically receive membership to IOA.
• OCE (Orthoptic Council of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS is also a member of OCE, the Orthoptic Council of Europe.
• British Orthoptic Society Trade Union (BOSTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS members in the UK are automatically trade union members of BOSTU. BOSTU is the only union in the UK run by and for the orthoptic workforce.
• NHS Trade Unions CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS (through BOSTU) is part of a coalition of 18 NHS unions representing over a million health workers, campaigning on pay, flexible working, and NHS workforce issues.
• The College of OptometristsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder and lead of the UK Eye Care Data Hub project. The hub provides comprehensive data on UK eye care workforce and diseases for commissioners and researchers.
• The Royal College of OphthalmologistsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub. Expert working groups convened by this organization identified eye condition prevalence and incidence data.
• Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub project.
• Department of Health Northern IrelandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub project.
• Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub project.
• Fight For SightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of research on barriers to amblyopia therapy, which produced the Super Eyes patching cartoon series.
• NHS R&D North WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of research on barriers to amblyopia therapy, sponsoring Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
• Manchester University NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch sponsor for the Addressing Barriers to Amblyopia Therapy project, led by orthoptist Laura England.
• NHS BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIOS collaborates with NHS bodies, universities, and other allied health professions to shape national policy and workforce strategy.
• James HallamcoreOthersInsurance broker providing exclusive insurance coverage for BIOS members through their PROMED service. Covers Medical & Professional Liability (£2.5M per claim, £5M total) and Public Liability (£5M).
• Guide DogsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for patient support and outreach. Family Outreach Officer Erick Wilson-Gougeon supports families of children with visual impairments including amblyopia.
• VimeocoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure video hosting platform for pseudonymised patient videos on the PERL. Videos are locked for private accessibility only through PERL.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft 365 for email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive. HoloLens 2 devices with BitLocker encryption for live streaming patient assessments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• British Medical Association: UK professional body and trade union for doctors; co-participant with BOSTU in the NHS Trade Unions Coalition. Comparable as a much larger UK healthcare professional body and trade union with dual representation functions similar to BIOS/BOSTU.
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists: UK medical royal college for ophthalmologists; co-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub with BIOS. Comparable as a larger UK eye-care professional body representing a medical-doctor specialty adjacent to orthoptics.
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: UK professional body for speech and language therapists; also an AHP Federation member. Comparable to BIOS in mission and structure as a UK allied-health professional body offering membership, CPD, and insurance benefits.
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: UK professional body and trade union for physiotherapists; fellow AHP Federation member alongside BIOS. Comparable as a much larger UK allied-health professional body with similar membership, education, and trade union functions.
• College of Optometrists: UK professional body for optometrists and co-funder of the UK Eye Care Data Hub with BIOS. Comparable as a UK eye-care professional body serving a larger adjacent practitioner base.

Direct peers

• American Association of Certified Orthoptists: US national professional body for orthoptists. Directly comparable to BIOS in mission, structure, and membership model for the North American orthoptic workforce.
• Orthoptic Council of Europe: European-level body of which BIOS is a member. Comparable as a regional professional body for orthoptics, focused on European standards and harmonisation.
• Orthoptics Australia: Australian national professional body for orthoptists. Directly comparable as a country-level orthoptic professional society offering membership, education, and advocacy in a single national market.
• International Orthoptic Association: Global umbrella body for orthoptics; BIOS is a member and all BIOS members receive automatic IOA membership. Directly comparable as a professional association representing orthoptists internationally.

Regional players

• Allied Health Professions Australia: Australian peak body for allied health professions, analogous in role to the UK AHP Federation that BIOS is part of. Comparable as an allied-health umbrella professional body serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcVVbBBdGSXwUAwa3ocQckQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BritishIrishOrthoptics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/british-and-irish-orthoptic-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/bios_orthoptics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 and Irish Orthoptic Society