Today we published a new editorial which outlines the principles laid out in the recently released document from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine on resumption of planned surgical services.

The resumption of planned healthcare in 2021 is both a necessity and an opportunity, but it will require co‐ordination at all levels and acknowledgement and planning that accommodates the physical and psychological needs of those who have worked throughout the pandemic in order to deliver the safe, stable and sustainable service that will be required in the years to come.

Authors Professor Tim Cook and Dr Tei Sheraton are joined by Dr Kariem El-Boghdadly to go through the many issues raised in the paper.