Welcome to this special issue of the Otorhinolaryngologist devoted to tracheostomy care. Tracheostomy are inserted by surgeons (ENT or OMFS) and increasingly by intensive care physicians. Tracheostomy care, following insertion, traditionally has been provided by a number of medical (ITU, Respiratory, ENT, OMFS) and allied health care professionals (nurses, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists) individually rather than in a collaborative approach.

It has become more recognised in recent years that safe and optimal care for patients with a tracheostomy requires a multi-disciplinary approach requiring a range of health care professionals.

The Global Tracheostomy Collaboration has been instrumental in supporting and disseminating best practice from exemplar hospitals for adult and paediatric patients with a tracheostomy.

This special issue contains a range of abstracts presented at the 4th and 5th International Tracheostomy Symposium.

The benefits of standardised care and with a multi-disciplinary team to reduce harm is demonstrated in studies from the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

Further abstracts from USA and Australia demonstrate the benefits of education for both healthcare professionals but importantly for family carers.

I hope that this issue stimulates further improvements to the care provided to adult and paediatric patients with a trachesotomy.

Ram Moorthy

Editor