About the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre

UCL-UCLH Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe) are an independent research group, who work closely with clinicians and clinical governance departments. It was established in April 2000 with a grant from the Special Trustees of UCLH NHS Trust and is now funded by a capacity grant from the UCL/UCLH Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre. The centre operates out of the Division of Surgery at UCL which is based at Charles Bell House in London.

The aim of the group is to use measurement to improve the quality of perioperative healthcare. The work undertaken by the group predominantly focuses on the following areas:


  • Risk stratification
    Understanding and improving methods to predict adverse outcomes (complications and mortality) after major non-cardiac surgery.
  • Innovation in measurement
    Development and validation of measures for assessing outcome from major surgery: encompassing complications and patient-reported outcome
  • Improvement Science
    Using measurement to improve quality of care; dissemination of learning for quality improvement


The advice the group gives is based upon the results of research and audit studies looking at risk adjustment and outcome measures a parallel program of process evaluation and implementation testing conducted in partnership with clinicians. The aim is to achieve this in a timely, pragmatic and rigorous manner.

Staff are predominantly NHS clinicians but also have an academic input from DAHR and a partnership with the National Institute for Academic Anaesthesia’s Health Services Research Centre (NIAA-HSRC) who are based at the Royal College of Anaesthetists. The current Director for SOuRCe is also the Director of the HSRC.

To learn more about our work, please use the links at the top of this page.