About us
The national organisation for healthcare professionals caring for people with respiratory disease on the island of Ireland.
Who we are
The Irish Thoracic Society (ITS) brings together the healthcare professionals who care for people with respiratory disease in Ireland. Through advocacy, education and research, we work to improve the prevention, diagnosis and clinical care of lung disease.
We aim to influence national health policy, reduce the health and economic burden of lung disease, and promote equitable access to respiratory care for everyone who needs it.
We work in partnership with patient organisations, government, the HSE, industry and academia to achieve these goals.
What we do
Advocacy
Championing better prevention, diagnosis and care of respiratory disease with policymakers and partners.
Our policy work →Education
Advancing professional knowledge, skills development and peer learning, from our Annual Scientific Meeting to the ITS Podcast.
Explore education →Research
Advancing respiratory research in Ireland, including our Respiratory Health of the Nation report.
Our research →Our history
The Irish Thoracic Society was formed in 1980 when its immediate predecessor organisation, the Irish Tuberculosis & Thoracic Society (ITTS), founded around 1960, decided on a new constitution and name change. The ITTS, in turn, had been directly preceded by the Irish Tuberculosis Society, set up in 1946, which similarly adopted a new constitution leading to a change of title. These successive title changes reflected the decline in the prevalence of TB following the introduction of effective chemotherapy, as well as rapidly expanding scientific understanding of the importance of asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disorders, lung cancer, non-tuberculous lung infections and environmental and occupational lung disease.
With an unbroken succession over many years, the Irish Thoracic Society (ITS) is one of the oldest – if not the oldest – medical subspecialty organisations in Ireland. The history of our society from 1946 – 2019 has been published and a digital version can be downloaded.
- 1946Irish Tuberculosis Society
- c. 1960Irish Tuberculosis & Thoracic Society (ITTS)
- 1980Irish Thoracic Society
The history of the Irish Thoracic Society, 1946 to 2019.
More about the ITS
Registration details
- Registered Charity No.
- CHY 17510
- Charity Regulator No.
- 20065294
- Company Registration No.
- 462103