When I see and hear young people not only speaking, but taking action on the big issues of our time I have hope for the future. When I see doctors do the same, I feel similarly hopeful. Hence, when young doctors and medical students get active, I feel especially optimistic.  There are many well known and researched ways in which healthcare can be improved – the key difficulty being almost always the systematic implementation of good evidence: especially to reduce variations in outcomes, which although seemingly acceptable to the health system, would be deemed outrageous by most other sectors. 

One crucial part of ensuring systematic implementation of good evidence in any health system is effective leadership and management, with clinicians playing a genuinely constructive part.  Or to put it another way, without really effective clinical involvement, even the best laid plans founder.  Hence it was so stimulating to see and hear younger member of BAMM (BAMMbino) debate some of most strategic issues of our time at an evening meeting in London last week.  Just like H G Wells, who said “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race”, every time I see a young doctor talking passionately about wanting to be part of better clinical management and leadership, I do not despair for the future of the NHS.