The BMJ is a journal for doctors. Its mission is to to lead the debate on health and to engage, inform, and stimulate doctors, researchers, and other health professionals in ways that will improve outcomes for patients.

In recent years, patients and the public have become increasingly involved in shaping health care.1 2 In the UK, the government is promoting the inclusion of members of the public in strategic decisions about health services and policy at local and national level, and doctors are being encouraged to involve patients in treatment decisions. Most British medical royal colleges have established patient advisory groups and value those groups' contributions to their work. Gradually, also, patients have been taking on …