British Association Of Day Surgery

What British Association Of Day Surgery does

The British Association of Day Surgery (BADS) is a UK-registered charity and professional membership association founded in 1999 that serves as the national multidisciplinary body for day surgery practitioners. It provides day surgery information, guidance, and educational resources to healthcare professionals including consultant surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and allied health professionals across NHS trusts. The association is governed by a multidisciplinary council and operates from a registered office in London. BADS does not sell software or proprietary technology; its core technology is a content and knowledge platform built around its website, member portal, and the Journal of One-Day Surgery (JODS), with the Directory of Procedures and National Dataset produced in collaboration with CHKS using the iCompare benchmarking solution.

BADS's product portfolio centres on clinical publications — the Directory of Procedures benchmarking recommended day case rates across 300+ surgical procedures, a series of clinical handbooks (Paediatric Day Surgery, Spinal Anaesthesia, Day Case Gynaecology, Day Case Breast Surgery, Day Case Hip & Knee Replacement, WALANT, and more), Core Competencies guidance, and Day Surgery Bitesize Topics — alongside educational events including an annual conference and joint virtual conferences with Healthcare Conferences UK (HCUK), a project grant programme, and co-badged guidelines produced with NHS England, GIRFT, CPOC, RCoA, and RCS. Strategic Alliance Partnerships with AneticAid, Applied Medical, CHKS, and Aexis Medical provide corporate sponsorship in exchange for logo placement, newsletter inclusion, council meeting attendance, and conference sponsorship.

The business model is community-led and subscription-anchored: recurring annual membership fees (£120 for Permanent Medical Staff, £60 for Nursing Staff, Doctors in Training, Managers, and Retired Staff) form the dues base, with transactional revenue from conference registration (member-discounted), one-time publication sales to non-members, and licensing-style income from corporate Strategic Alliance packages. BADS reaches members through its website, monthly newsletter to 700+ members, the annual conference, HCUK joint virtual events, social media, and co-badged publications distributed through NHS and royal college partner networks. The association has expanded internationally through IAAS and a 2025 collaboration with the China Ambulatory Surgery Association.

Name

British Association Of Day Surgery

Legal name

British Association of Day Surgery

Website

https://bads.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BADS is a UK professional membership association, founded in 1999, that provides day surgery guidelines, handbooks, benchmarking data, conferences, and education to surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and allied health professionals across the NHS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide recurring revenue. Permanent Medical Staff membership is £120 per year, while Nursing Staff, Doctors in Training, Managers and Retired Staff pay £60 per year. Membership can be paid yearly or quarterly.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from annual conferences and joint virtual conferences with Healthcare Conferences UK. Non-members pay higher registration fees than members.
3. Publications Sales: Publications are free to BADS members. Non-members may purchase publications such as the Day Case Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy handbook, Spinal Anaesthesia guide, and other clinical resources.
4. Strategic Alliance Partnerships: Corporate partners pay for strategic alliance packages that include regular logo featuring in newsletters, article inclusion, council meeting attendance, website homepage logo placement, and conference sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BADS is a UK professional membership association that delivers day surgery information, guidance, and educational resources to healthcare professionals. Its core offerings include the Directory of Procedures with the National Dataset (recommended day case rates for 300+ procedures), a library of clinical handbooks and competency frameworks, the Journal of One-Day Surgery (JODS), an annual conference and joint virtual conferences, and a project grant programme.

Product overview

British Association Of Day Surgery (BADS) is a professional membership association that serves as a knowledge and education hub for day surgery healthcare professionals. The organization's portfolio consists primarily of clinical publications and resources (the Directory of Procedures, handbooks, core competencies, and the Journal of One-Day Surgery), educational events (annual conferences and joint virtual conferences with HCUK), and grant programs. These offerings work together to support healthcare professionals in implementing and improving day surgery pathways, with the Directory of Procedures providing evidence-based benchmarks, handbooks offering clinical guidance, and conferences facilitating knowledge exchange among the multidisciplinary day surgery team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Journal of One-Day Surgery (JODS): The Journal of One-Day Surgery (JODS) is the official peer-reviewed publication of BADS, available to members and published periodically.
• BADS Directory of Procedures & National Dataset

Products and services

• BADS Directory of Procedures and National Dataset A benchmarking reference and dataset that defines recommended day case rates for over 300 surgical procedures using OPCS coding, alongside a National Dataset produced with CHKS showing day surgery performance of top-performing hospitals and potential bed and cost savings. Targeted at NHS trusts, hospital managers, and day surgery clinicians seeking national benchmarks.
• BADS Handbooks Series of comprehensive clinical handbooks covering specialist areas of day surgery practice including Paediatric Day Surgery, Spinal Anaesthesia, Day Case Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Day Case Gynaecology Surgery, Day Case Breast Surgery, Day Case Hip & Knee Replacement, Surgical Same-Day Emergency Care, and Nurse Led Discharge. Free to BADS members and available for purchase by non-members; aimed at surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses.
• Core Competencies for the Day Surgery Team National guidance document setting out the knowledge and skills required for day surgery teams to enable safe, early recovery and discharge of patients. Aimed at nurses, ODPS, PAs, ANPs, and other allied health professionals working in day surgery.
• Journal of One-Day Surgery (JODS) The official peer-reviewed publication of BADS, publishing scientific articles, clinical guidance, and research related to day surgery and perioperative care. Available to BADS members and targeted at clinicians, researchers, and allied professionals.
• Wide Awake Local Anaesthetic, No Tourniquet (WALANT) Handbook BADS handbook covering the use of Wide Awake Local Anaesthetic No Tourniquet (WALANT) for hand, wrist, and other peripheral surgical procedures, enabling surgery without general or regional anaesthesia. Aimed at surgeons and anaesthetists performing day case hand and peripheral procedures.
• Day Surgery Bitesize Topics Brief educational resources covering specific day surgery topics, designed for quick reference and professional development. Targeted at BADS members across all disciplines for on-the-job learning.
• BADS Day Surgery Project Grant Financial award supporting research projects or travel costs for day surgery study or practice development, with recipients required to present outcomes at the annual BADS conference. Open to BADS members undertaking day surgery improvement work.
• National Day Surgery Delivery Pack Practical NHS-facing guidance pack developed with GIRFT and CPOC to help NHS trusts expand day case surgery across elective and non-elective care, identifying 14 specific actions for converting inpatient activity to day case. Distributed to NHS trusts and clinical leaders.
• BADS Annual Conference Annual national BADS conference bringing together healthcare professionals to share knowledge, present research, and learn about best practice in day surgery, with free paper sessions, poster competitions, and workshops. Open to members and non-members, with member discounts; typically held in June in London.

Quantifiable outcome

• Day surgery can significantly reduce NHS waiting lists and improve patient outcomes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS collaborates closely with the GIRFT programme on developing best practice pathways, including co-badged guidance on day case hysterectomy, ENT procedures, and hip/knee replacement. GIRFT metrics for APOM are aligned with BADS metrics and standards.
• Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS works with CPOC on guidelines and resources including the National Day Surgery Delivery Pack, CPOC/BGS Frailty guideline, and various perioperative care resources.
• Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS co-badges guidelines with RCoA, including the GIRFT Best practice day case hysterectomy delivery guide and RCoA GPAS Chapter 6 day surgery updates.
• International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS has a strong international relationship through IAAS, offering free membership to IAAS for BADS members and discounted registration to IAAS biennial conferences. BADS contributes to international ambulatory surgery development.
• Healthcare Conferences UK (HCUK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBADS partners with HCUK to deliver joint virtual conferences on specific day surgery topics. BADS members receive reduced rates of £100 + VAT on BADS/HCUK events.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS works with NHS England on day surgery policy, elective recovery, and national initiatives including the Model Health System and children and young people's elective recovery.
• China Ambulatory Surgery Association (CASA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS developed collaboration with CASA following reciprocal visits. BADS delivered 'Training the Trainers in Ambulatory Surgery' course in China, while Chinese hospitals visited UK day surgery pioneers.
• Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS collaborates with RCS on educational projects including Virtual Learning Environment programme and the Postgraduate Certificate in Surgery.
• British Geriatrics Society (BGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADS collaborated with BGS on the CPOC/BGS Guideline for the Perioperative Care of People Living with Frailty.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Getting It Right First Time: NHS England programme that co-badges day case pathways with BADS across multiple specialties. Functions as a peer in shaping NHS day surgery policy and benchmarking, with GIRFT metrics explicitly aligned to BADS standards.
• Association for Perioperative Practice: UK membership association for perioperative practitioners including theatre and recovery nurses. Directly comparable as a multidisciplinary healthcare professional society serving overlapping nursing and AHP audiences.
• International Association for Ambulatory Surgery: Global membership organization dedicated to ambulatory (day) surgery that BADS partners with closely. BADS members receive free IAAS membership and discounted biennial conference access, making it the closest international peer.
• Centre for Perioperative Care: UK cross-specialty perioperative care initiative co-developing guidelines with BADS (e.g., National Day Surgery Delivery Pack, frailty guideline). Functions as a complementary membership and policy coalition in the same perioperative space.

Broad incumbents

• British Medical Association: UK-wide professional association and trade union for doctors. Provides a top-of-funnel membership benchmark for medical specialty associations, though covering a much broader clinical scope than BADS.
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Scottish royal college that partnered with BADS on the Virtual Learning Environment programme; comparable as a surgical education and professional membership body serving UK and international surgeons.
• Royal College of Surgeons of England: UK professional body for surgeons that co-develops surgical education and day surgery guidance with BADS, including the Postgraduate Certificate in Surgery. Overlaps in educational content and member base of consultant surgeons.
• Royal College of Anaesthetists: UK specialty college for anaesthetists; co-badges GPAS Chapter 6 day surgery guidance and other anaesthesia protocols with BADS. Shares a substantial portion of BADS's anaesthetist member base.
• British Orthopaedic Association: UK specialty society for orthopaedic surgeons, including Day Case Hip & Knee Replacement — a flagship BADS handbook topic. Competes for orthopaedic surgeon mindshare on day surgery education.

Others

• Healthcare Conferences UK: Conference organizer that partners with BADS to deliver joint virtual day surgery conferences. Comparable as a healthcare events and professional education distributor, though operates as a commercial events provider rather than a membership society.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-british-association-of-day-surgery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about British Association Of Day Surgery