Description

Unlike the United States the relatively small numbers of Infectious Disease physicians has resulted in the microbiologist taking on the role of advisor on clinical matters in many hospitals. Collaboration between the specialities in the form of joint ward rounds or clinical meetings have clearly been beneficial to overall patient care. Recently six year training schemes have been proposed and recently approved for joint training programmes for specialist registrars with the aim of dual accreditation. The relationship between single and dual accredited individuals remains to be established but there is a risk for existing microbiologists to feel their clinical role is threatened. However, traditional accreditation in infectious diseases/internal medicine or medical microbiology remains the most likely route for current trainees.

The new journal aims to encompass this modern philosophy of infection care which incorporates a close multi-disciplinary approach at the teaching, training and clinical service level. The disciplines include not only medical microbiology (including virology), and clinical infectious diseases (including tropical medicine) but also public health medicine, clinical epidemiology, immunology and increasingly pharmacists and nurses interested in infection. Many readers and the editorial teams have observed that the two sister journals provided much of mutual interest and relevance to the microbiologist and ID clinician. Indeed issues of public health are closely linked with both specialities.

Although it has been decided to merge the two publications the microbiology and ID teams will continue to edit their respective articles. A CME point is awarded for those sending in answers to the 3 MCQs based on an individual article provided at least 80% of the responses are correct. Answering all the MCQs would gain 6 points but those readers only wanting to test themselves on the articles in their own specialty would be able to gain 3 points. This is clearly explained in the appropriate section.

We are keen to receive articles for publication and we hope we gain even more readers with this joint venture. Your comments, particularly on how we can improve the journal are most welcome.

Finally, we welcome two new sub-editors: Dr Mark Farrington, Consultant Microbiologist, Public Health and Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge and Dr Robert Masterton, Consultant Microbiologist Department of Clinical Microbiology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.