Change, change, change

Welcome to this edition of the Future Healthcare Journal (FHJ), my first as interim editor-in-chief. I must start by expressing my thanks and appreciation to Wing Commander Ed Nicol from whom I take the baton. Through his efforts, the journal has progressed, expanded and enhanced its content and readership. The phrase ‘a tough act to follow' was never so apt.

As I move through my career I am realising that if we are to have a health service fit for purpose, an active informed debate about the future of our healthcare services is essential. My perspective on the challenges faced has been greatly enhanced by an unusual work pattern. I divide my time between serving the rural population on Orkney as a general physician, and my role in the cardiology team at Imperial College, London. Our aim is to make the FHJ the leading journal for peer-reviewed evidence regarding health service development combined with providing a forum for authoritative, even controversial, debate regarding future healthcare.

The editorial board itself is also going through a process of renewal. I am delighted to welcome Dr Miriam Fine-Goulden, a paediatric intensivist with health service organisational experience. If we want to understand our future patient population, ask a paediatrician! Professor Rodger Charlton joins us to strengthen our links to primary care, where most healthcare is delivered, and substantial change is going to be happening in the next years. His thought provoking presentation on digital consultations and the Babylon service is well worth reading and can be found via a link from our Twitter account (@FutureHealthJ). Suzie Bailey is joining the team with extensive experience in management, organisation and leadership of the health service and now working for The King's Fund, an organisation that I've long admired for influencing thinking around healthcare and services. Neil Howie joins the board with his background as a physician associate, a healthcare professional group whose role in the workforce is surely going to expand. We also welcome Graham Foulkes and Julia Ellis who, as patient representatives, will bring valuable insights to our articles and perspective on our future strategy. Welcomes also link with farewells and I would like to thank Bob Klaber, David Morgan-Jones and Victoria Simpkin for the insights and contributions they brought to the board as they step down.

I am grateful to have the continuing support of Professor Tom Downes as deputy editor-in-chief, and to Tom and Na'eem Ahmed for being the masterminds of this edition. Tom's editorial introduces a selection of themed papers entirely in concert with our mission. In addition to the themed articles we are fortunate and delighted to have an editorial from Tony Blair through his Institute for Global Change. His article makes a powerful case for embracing technological change to advance healthcare and finishes with a call to action for governments. In other articles, Fletcher et al describe a model for tertiary neurology support to district hospitals and their designs are relevant across many disciplines.¹ Carpenter et al take a look at afternoon ward rounds and doubt their efficacy.² Many of us spend more time on ward rounds than undertaking our subspecialty work, and yet we have a dearth of evidence to guide how best to utilise this time.

Future editions will be exploring advances in education, the impact of digital technology and include regular updates from the Royal College of Physicians Quality Improvement team. We welcome your comments as letters and tweets and equally your submissions of papers across the broad range of issues impacting on our future healthcare.

We also have positive developments in publication. FHJ current and past issues are now fully visible and searchable on PubMed Central which is excellent news for authors and readers. Our forthcoming publication platform means we will be offering online publication ahead of print and ever faster review turnaround times. The philosophy of our reviews is not to criticise, but to help enhance submissions that we feel are of interest to our broad readership.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the FHJ. I hope it informs, stimulates and even provokes, as we share our passion to ensure effective healthcare for our population.

• © Royal College of Physicians 2019. All rights reserved.