The delivery of healthcare in the United Kingdom is going through a period of change, with many new developments. Some of these represent the aspirations of politicians and those who manage the National Health Service, and others are being forced upon us because of the shortage of resources (not always financial). Positive developments include the increase in the number of medical school places and hence, eventually, more doctors, and similar plans to increase the number of nurses and other staff. If successful, these changes should help us to manage the challenges posed by the rise in the number of older people in our society. Furthermore, the National Service Framework, if backed by adequate resources, has the potential to improve the quality of the services we offer to our elders. All of us working with older people have a responsibility to make sure that the National Health Service makes the most of these changes. Age and Ageing has also been changing, but only for the better, and this process of evolution will undoubtedly continue. The journal is now widely recognized as an important flagship for the medicine of old age in general and for the British Geriatrics Society in particular. This has been reflected in the increasing number of submissions of high-quality papers, with a large increase in those from Europe and beyond. This is a tribute to Graham Mulley’s leadership over the last 6 years, and also to our previous editors, their production teams, and the editorial board. Succeeding Graham is both challenging and exciting. I hope that the journal will continue not only to reflect the changes occurring in the delivery of healthcare for older people in the years ahead, but also help to lead us forward by presenting information that will be valuable to those developing and improving healthcare delivery and treatment. The editorial structure is changing to include associate editors who each have some editorial responsibility. This process is being assisted by a greater use of information and communication technology. I would like to attract more submissions on ethical aspects of the care of elderly people, and examples of innovative practices that have been evaluated and shown to be worthwhile, and which the rest of us might find helpful to consider in our own services. This does not mean that the types of paper we are already receiving will be any less welcome. All submissions will, of course, continue to be subject to peer review.