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Peter Brindley explains why teamwork is the strongest drug in the hospital. Modern acute care medicine is eye-wateringly complex and potentially dangerous. It really can’t be delivered safely without deliberately addressing our teamwork (in both acute and chronic situations). Unfortunately, historically, human factors were commonly left to chance, and recently have been threatened by decerebrate checklists and meaningless ‘psychobabble’. Peter describes communication and its critical role in the effectiveness of any team. He compares the voice of a team leader to a drug. Like a drug, it can be a placebo or a nocebo, depending on its use. As such you must use the right drug at the right dose for the right patient and the right time! Moreover, other forms of communication play an integral part of any team environment. Peter discusses verbal, paraverbal, non-verbal and other forms of communication which all need attention. Rudeness, and its damaging potential is highlighted. Peter contends that rudeness alone wi