Editorial

Meeting the patient partnership agenda: the challenge for health care workers Health care systems around the world are currently being challenged by rapid and radical change in the socio-political and demographic environment. Ageing populations in many industrialized countries combined with improved treatment for many diseases, such as cancer, are expected to lead to an increase in the demand for care. At the same time, the average age of health care professionals is rising and the clinical profes-sions, which now exist in a highly competitive labour market, are experiencing great difWculty in recruiting and retaining staff to replace those close to retirement [1]. More subtly per-haps, there are changes in the nature of social relationships that could have profound and far-reaching impacts on the health care sector. Many social structures have become Xatter