Centre for Organising Health and Care Research

At the Centre for Organising Health and Care Research (COHCR), our primary focus is on improving health and care at scale by addressing the systemic challenges and complexities within the sector today.

The provision of health and care services is inherently complex, requiring innovative approaches to tackle organisational challenges and ensure sustainable transformation. Drawing on our extensive knowledge and expertise, we are dedicated to developing impactful research that drives forward innovations, shapes critical debates, and deepens understanding of how health and care systems can be effectively organised and delivered.

WBS has a long history of being at the forefront of health and care policy and practice in the UK. In 1992, Andrew Pettigrew, Ewan Ferlie, and Lorna McKee published Shaping Strategic Change, which introduced revolutionary ideas for transforming health and care services. This work has been integrated into countless strategies and initiatives led by practitioners and policymakers.

More than 30 years later, health and care research continues to thrive at WBS through the work of the COHCR. The Centre collaborates closely with Warwick Medical School and multiple local partners in the NHS. Researchers affiliated with COHCR also work with NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West Midlands, a five-year initiative dedicated to improving care services across the region.

The aims of the Centre for Organising Health and Care Research fall into three key categories: 

Thought leadership and visibility

• Build and promote knowledge that inspires new thinking and new practices.

• Continually develop WBS as a centre of excellence in applied research on health and care.

Community building

• Connect researchers, practitioners, policy makers, thought leaders and institutions to collaborate at a local, regional, national and global level.

• Champion an interdisciplinary research community for health and care within WBS and the University of Warwick.

Impact

• Create a world-leading capability in demonstrating the applied use, reach and significance of research that makes a difference in health and care. Evidence outcomes and build methodologies to help findings to be applied by practitioners and policy makers.