Abstract
As you read this, you may be living the dream, or coming to terms with your own post-apocalyptic nightmare, depending upon your views on Britain’s exit from the European Union. It is also possible, of course, that you remain in exactly the same fretful state of uncertainty about the future, if the cycle of postponement and failed negotiation persisted beyond 29th March.
Rarely has such a polarising event dominated the landscape for what feels like an eternity. As members of the public, we have watched from the sidelines for the last two years, ever since that fateful day that we last had a say in the process, when we cast our binary vote. The weight of the decisions that must now be made does not seem to be reflected in any observable progress to us, the impatient public. In these last final days, we still do not know where we stand.
As such, we have no real idea how this could affect healthcare providers and patients in the United Kingdom. For some of us, the greatest inconvenience may simply be the confusion over which line to stand in at passport control during our summer vacation this year. For others, the consequences may be severe. A considerable proportion of our workforce in the NHS comes from the European Union and the uncertainty of what lies ahead creates a heavy burden for these individuals, who perform a vital service. There are also rumours of reduced access to funding for UK researchers and enforced exile from the European scientific community. But perhaps all the potential downsides to this monumentally complex divorce settlement will settle with time and from the ashes will arise a stronger, more independent community ready for the challenges of modern commerce, steering a course that will be followed by other nations. Whatever the outcome, whatever our view, no one will be saddened when the dreaded B-word is finally put to rest. It may be harder to forget the frustration of having no voice, and feeling let down by the chaos of Parliament. I hope that the people we have entrusted to make decisions about our future can put aside their differences and personal agendas for a moment and made the right choices for us all.
Aside from this, the journal continues to thrive, with an ever-increasing number of submissions from around the world. In response to this, we are expanding the Editorial Board again and reaching out, further from home to create a team that represents those who read the journal. We have taken the decision to no longer accept case reports and will be developing a replacement article type more aligned to cases faced in exams. And this edition sees the welcome return of our dear acquaintances, Wood and Trees.