Balancing editorial handover

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving [1].”

As announced earlier this year, we are delighted that transition towards the journal’s new Editorship under Professor Simon Gay is well underway. Simon and I have been working together for the past two issues and, as 31:4 goes to press, have a clear handover plan to share. We felt it important that impetus is not lost, and that editorial transition is carefully balanced. The journal must keep riding progressively forward.

This remains so important in these unprecedented times. Submissions have increased significantly since the Covid-19 virus emerged. Downloads are rising quite dramatically supported by the most welcome Taylor & Francis initiative of offering free access to pandemic related articles. More than ever the primary care education role of the journal is crucial. Both Simon and I feel that going forwards, we must embrace new approaches to education, explore, evaluate and share innovations, and bridge divides across the undergraduate – postgraduate education continuum and between primary and secondary care. These are exciting times where opportunities catalysed by the pandemic can be harnessed. Our affiliation with the World Organisation for Family Doctors (WONCA) continues to build and strengthen. The dedicated healthcare professional educators and willing, generous patients across the globe together make Primary Care a simply outstanding place to learn. Education for Primary Care will continue to be dedicated to disseminating the learning they offer us all in the future just as it has in the past.

At the same time as welcoming Simon, we truly welcome Dr Jenny Johnston as our new deputy editor. Jenny further enhances the already capable deputy editor team of Dr David Cunningham and Dr Samantha Scallan. Jenny has already grasped this role with great energy and enthusiasm. Her publications, international networks and successful championing of qualitative research will further enrich our outputs. Her passion to raise the quality of medical education research knows no bounds.

Combining these four people with our talented wider international editorial board gives this journal every reason for optimism about the future as it continues to gather the best primary care education related articles on research, evaluation, innovation and leading opinion from around the globe.

However, as we look to the future, it is with great sadness we reflect this month on the death of Dr. Lesley Pugsley in early July after a courageous struggle with a terminal illness. Lesley made a major contribution to this journal over many years; perhaps most notably with the ‘How to’ series which ran for six years. This offered a superb forum for the Cardiff MSc students to develop their publication skills. She contributed so much to so many and was held in such great esteem by the medical education fraternity. She will be greatly missed by us all.

For the next two issues Simon and I will continue to work together towards a formal handover at the Annual Board meeting in November. When the 32^nd volume of the journal launches in 2021 Simon will be fully at the helm riding a well-balanced bicycle forward! Please keep submitting all your articles to share your research initiatives and innovations as we adapt to the pandemic era.

With all best wishes.