The Institute of Biomedical Science was founded in 1912 as the Pathological and Bacteriological Laboratory Assistants' Association (PBLAA).

Other members also work in veterinary laboratories, the National Blood Authority, Health Protection Agency, Medical Research Council, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as related commercial fields and in teaching.

The IBMS publishes two periodicals: The gold open accessed British Journal of Biomedical Science is a peer-review journal registered with Pub Med, that carries scientific papers (as full original articles and short reports), case reports, and invited reviews.

The monthly The Biomedical Scientist has news, articles, opinions, reports, diaries of events and job advertisements which is produced by Redactive publications.

The IBMS assesses and accredits undergraduate or higher-level courses and qualifications for candidates seeking registration.