Professor Ross Millar

Ross is the Director of HSMC and a Reader in Health Organisation.

Since joining HSMC in 2008, Ross has developed research interests in the areas of improving quality and safety, the development of inter-organisational collaboration, and the adoption of organisational innovation such as social enterprise. What unites these interests is a passion for understanding and developing health and care organisations.

His methodological interests are primarily qualitative in capturing  different workforce perspectives using interviews and observations. Ross also has an interest in Realist synthesis and evaluation.

Ross has published widely across these research areas and takes a particular interest in connecting these experiences to different theories of public policy, organisation studies, and sociology. 

Ross has wide ranging teaching interests. He works across a range postgraduate modules in relation to quality and safety, organisational performance, digital health, and innovation and improvement. 

Between 2015 and 2019, Ross was the Director of Learning and Teaching at HSMC and more recently has been the Programme Director for the Health and Care System Leadership Apprenticeship.

MSc Health Policy and Management & MSc Health and Care System Leadership

• Innovation & Improvement

MSc Global Health System Leadership & MA Global Public Policy

• Health Systems & Policy

Ross is interested in PhD supervision across the following research areas:

Quality improvement
Safety
Inter-organisational collaboration
Governance

He specialises in the use of qualitative research methods.

Ross has worked on a range of research and development projects which have been funded by the British Academy, Department of Health Policy Research Programme, NIHR Health Service and Delivery programme, the Health Foundation, and the Academic Health Science Network. Recent projects have included:

• How health and care boards interact with research evidence
• A study of inter organisational collaboration across provider organisations
• Examining the role of executive Boards in overseeing quality and safety 
• Comparative case studies of healthcare reform 
• Analysing workforce perspectives of healthcare reform in China 
• The start-up and growth of social enterprises in health and social care

Ross draws on a variety of theories and ideas from public policy, organisation studies, and sociology to make sense of these developments. His methodological interests are primarily qualitative drawing on interviews and observations. He also has an interest in Realist synthesis and evaluation.

Ross is interested in any PhD proposals connected to these areas.