First of all welcome to a new year. I'd like to start by welcoming some new members to the editorial board – you can find them listed on the inside of the front cover. This reflects some prior members of the board standing down (you will recall my acknowledgement of their efforts in the last edition, and a need to expand the board to be able to process an increasing number of submissions, and finally to reflect that a significant number of submissions are from international authors and beyond Europe. Although there is talk in the United Kingdom regarding its relationship with Europe, as yet the journal is not eurosceptic; however, I am happy to welcome international submissions from all countries. The journal will nonetheless continue to reflect on the health politic of the United Kingdom. As before, I try to ensure the articles published on these topics will be of interest to those outside the United Kingdom, and therefore that they contain enough explanation of issues to be comprehensible to a non-UK readership.
From this year the journal will be honouring its founder Huw Griffith by awarding a prize to the original paper which, in the opinion of the editorial board, is the most meritorious of those articles published in that calendar year.
Later in the year – later meaning maybe as early as April – issues are likely to arise for the neurosurgical community surrounding the commissioning changes which continue apace; I worry that the neurosurgical community is not as aware of these changes as it should be. I have referred to these in previous editorials such that by now you may have tired of the repetition! I will say no more at this stage and will await events.
Turning to the journal itself the range of articles is perhaps a little more cranial this time; and perhaps a little more on trauma than usual. The article on air-travel maybe of interest as a common question with many answers and clearly no consensus! I would be happy to see correspondence on this or any other issue that the journal may provoke.
A shorter editorial than some, but I hope you enjoy the content of the issue!
Announcement
July 4–6, 2013, Liverpool, UK
Clinical Management of Chronic Pain: The Liverpool Course. An advanced practical and interactive course in clinical pain management for pain professionals and trainees who are aiming to develop their skills of assessing and treating complex chronic pain patients. Location: