Quality in Primary Care Open Access

Last year I ended on a promise to develop the journal further with the help of the editorial board, the journal office and the publisher. This year has seen a further increase in the number and quality of contributions to the journal and, as a result, a move from four to six issues.

This has of course meant more work for Peer Reviewers and I would like to personally acknowledge and thank all our authors and reviewers for their work and commitment throughout this year and to say that we look forward to their ongoing support in 2008. A full list of Peer Reviewers is included below.

We are fortunate to have a strong and active editorial and international editorial advisory board. This year we are delighted to welcome ProfessorChristos Lionis,University ofCrete andDrPaulMilne,University of Central Lancashire to our board. Professor Nicholas Glasgow from the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute of the Australian National University will join the board in 2008.

Members of the editorial board have provided invaluable support to the journal. This year we have had two special editions of the journal which were edited by members of the editorial board including Patient perspectives on quality in primary care (Guest Editor: Patricia Wilkie) and Commissioning for quality improvement (Guest Editor: Steve Gillam). Next year further special issues are planned on Development of nursing practice and scope, Professional regulation and Educational interventions for quality improvement.

In addition to our affiliation to the United Kingdom Primary Care Research Organisations and the North American Primary Care Research Group, we have in 2007 also become affiliated to the International Federation of Primary Care Research Networks, and the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute. I believe that these associations will help support international dialogue in this important and growing area of primary care and maintain the future development of quality improvement science and research. Most published papers in Quality in Primary Care in 2007 were research papers or short reports (45), but discussion papers (12), articles on quality improvement or clinical governance in action (7), and international exchange (3) continue to feature.We also have regular editorials or guest editorials (22) and features such as Knowledgeshare articles (6) and Quality digest (8).

We have received over 80 submissions over the past year, with 12% of these coming from countries other than the UK, US and Canada, mainland Europe, Australia and Asia. Of those articles that we received over the previous 12months, excluding commissioned articles and editorials, around 50% were accepted or accepted subject to revision.

Performance figures, which have been published annually in Quality in Primary Care since 2006 have improved – for articles submitted in 2007, average time for submission to publication (68 articles) 127 days, Acknowledgements two days, initial decision 21 days and submission to final decision 39 days. We initially reject approximately 50% of unsolicited papers, although some of these are published following extensive revision and resubmission.

With this, the last issue of 2007, I would like to take the opportunity to extend the wishes of the season to you, our readers and contributors.

Reviewers in 2007

Alison Dunkley
Alison Morton
Andrew Spooner
Andy Meal
Ann Spaight
Annie Elliot
Arch (‘Chip’) Mainous
Azhar Farooqi
Brenda Poulton
Catherine Smith
Charlie Brooker
Christine Johnson
David Cunningham
David de Berker
David Kernick
Glynis Buckle
Hilton Dixon
Ian Squire
Jabulani Sithole
James Jarrett
Jane Bethea
Jane Dyas
Jane Roberts
Janet Walker
Jeremy Miles
Jo Middlemass
John Wilmot
Jonathan Cape
Judy Smith
Kamila Hawthorne
Kamlesh Khunti
Keith Stevenson
Ken Brown
Kevin Hill
Martin von Fragstein
Maxine Offredy
Melody Rhydderch
Michael Gordon
Michael Moore
Moyez Jiwa
Nigel Sparrow
Patricia Wilkie
Paul Linsley
Paul Milne
Paul Twomey
Rachel Spencer
Richard Baker
Richard Hays
Robert McKinley
Ros Kane
Ruth Reilly
Sara Owen
Sarah Redsell
Steve Gillam
Sue Boase
Susan Mclaren
Terri Harding
Tim Cunliffe
Tim Stokes
Willie Hamilton
Yamini Krishna