Given the scale of problems faced by health and social services our ARC West Midlands is oriented towards ‘big ticket’ topics – services where decisions have major consequences for human health in our area.

On the basis of extensive discussion with services, users and providers, capacity developed in the CLAHRC pilot and in accordance with the national ARC priorities, four ‘service’ themes have been selected:

1. Long-term Conditions
2. Acute Care Interfaces
3. Integrated Care in Youth Mental Health
4. Maternity Services

And all our research is underpinned by a further four cross-cutting themes:

5. Organisational Science
6. Research Methodology, Informatics and Rapid Response
7. Public Health
8. Social Care