As I write, I can hear my neighbour’s twin girls playing in their garden. The sound is musical, the incessant chatter, squeals and laughter could be the silvery tinkle of a mountain stream on a sunny day.

Preparing for the new year always feels like an opportunity to take a moment to be mindful of the things that we have done in the recent past and consider how to do them in the future with more resilience and greater certainty for all our people.

One of the key messages that we tell our students when they attend the Recovery College’s ‘Understanding Your Medication’ course is ‘If you’re currently taking a medication that doesn’t work for you, go back and ask for something else. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.’

Much has been written about the impacts of the pandemic, and the challenges the NHS has faced over the past 14 months. We know that there are important lessons to be learnt and that the effects will be felt for some time to come.