ARC North West Coast is committed to improving the quality and efficiency of health and social care services, reducing health inequalities, and fostering a more equitable region. Aligned with the priorities of the Department of Health and Social Care, we work collaboratively to address the needs of local communities with a focus on health inequalities.

Our Objectives

We achieve our objectives through:
Connected Research Communities: Creating networks around health inequality concerns in the North West Coast.
Co-Producing Research: Collaborating with stakeholders on applied research and implementation projects relevant to health and social care needs.
Raising Awareness: Promoting awareness of health inequalities and embedding a health equity lens in research.
Building Capacity: Enhancing the capability to undertake applied research and implementation in health and social care.

Our Collaborative Approach

We work with:
People: Researchers, those with lived experience, clinical professionals, practitioners, and policymakers.
Organisations: Health and social care commissioners/providers, academic institutes, voluntary organisations, and others in the national NIHR ARC infrastructure programme.
Communities: Both geographic and interest-based.
Funders: Collaborating with NIHR and other research funders in health and social care.

Our Impact

Collaborating with ARC NWC, we ensure that partners feel:
Informed and Empowered: Challenging current practices and inspired to take action.
Supported and Included: Feeling valued and heard.
Relevance: The work aligns with their organisation or community.

Anticipated Outcomes for Collaborators

Partners working with us gain:
Awareness: Greater understanding of health inequalities and making research actionable.
Confidence: Ability to support the implementation of research findings into policy and practice.
Skills: Experience and capacity to co-produce research at every stage.
Appreciation: Understanding the role of the public and communities in research design and delivery.

Supporting health and social care organisations

ARC NWC contributes to their objectives through:
Supporting Professionals: In decision-making, particularly around ‘data into action’ and evidence-based commissioning and practice.
Robust Evidence: Gathering evidence of the quality and effectiveness of health and care services.
Influencing Social Determinants of Health: Collaborating with communities and building workforce capacity to address health equity.
Widespread Engagement: Engaging across health, social care, and voluntary organizations through our network.
Informing Strategy: Improving capacity in data science and implementation science.
Sustaining Relationships with Academia: Forming lasting partnerships with world-class researchers.
Workforce Development: Focusing on knowledge mobilisation and internship schemes.

At ARC North West Coast, we are dedicated to creating lasting positive change in health and social care through collaborative research and implementation, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more equitable region.