Exploring the lived experience for the most vulnerable

This issue spotlights vulnerable populations but it is the qualitative research that shines brightest.The lived experience for patients and healthcare professionals must be explored in a way that numbers and an algorithm can't reach alone.Qualitative research in the BJGP should be accessible and relevant to primary care practice and policy.Yet, that's no licence for superfi ciality and we want to support those papers that have deeper theoretical foundations and go further with engagement.Four papers in this issue showcase the richness of these explorations utilising varied qualitative approaches.