Cite as; Mehta R. Editorial: Inaugural issue. The Physician 2012; Nov issue 1

The launch of The Physician is another accolade for the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) in its quest to provide a high-quality continuous education platform. BAPIO is committed to the vision “Empowering doctors and dentists of Indian heritage to be the beacons of leadership and professional excellence”. There is a vast pool of talent and skill amongst the doctors of Indian origin who are regarded as the backbone of the NHS. We hope The Physician will be a vehicle to inspire and encourage research amongst members, as well as provide them with opportunities for career progression.

Good medical practice leading to improved patient care is central to the success of the NHS. Quality improvement comes from everyone understanding and implementing evidence based medicine. This publication will endeavour to promote this concept while providing up-to-date information to the medical fraternity on scientific, social and political aspects of medicine.

I am indeed grateful to a number of colleagues, eminent in their own fields, for associating with this venture and for their willingness to contribute to its success. I welcome Dr Parag Singhal for shouldering the editorial responsibilities, and Mr Buddhdev Pandya MBE as the Managing Director of BAPIO Publications.

The launch of The Physician marks a new chapter in the history of BAPIO, and adds to the efforts to promote professional excellence, in turn leading to better patient care. ■

It is a real privilege to have been invited to support Dr Ramesh Mehta and be associated with the experts in this exciting venture. Our National Health Service is the envy of the world as it provides quality healthcare to all, free at the point of need. As a voluntary organisation, BAPIO is committed to assist the NHS in providing the best patient care.

The publication is intended to address clinical and academic aspects of medicine, as well as NHS policy issues. Continuing medical education and training has remained a central pillar for BAPIO, not exclusive to its members but encompassing the wider medical fraternity.

Therefore it is vital to provide a platform to disseminate knowledge to support good medical practice and assist in many areas of regulatory issues like revalidation. The Physician will act to promote academic endeavour and innovation in the NHS. We are committed to publishing a very high-quality journal. I am extremely thankful to all the authors who have contributed high quality articles, covering such topics as the challenges facing the NHS and

its future, patient safety, and research articles. In the current austere NHS, it is even more important to focus on innovation, cost-effectiveness, value and establishing a culture of goodwill between NHS trusts and commissioners.

The Physician will promote the concept of sound clinical medicine, which assumes greater relevance when high-quality care needs to be provided within limited resources.

It is an honour for me to welcome Editorial Board members who have helped us in reviewing the articles and giving constructive feedback. We are pleased to have with us Mark Barker of Pharma Publications. He has several years of experience in medical publication and will help us in sustaining the quality. ■