Editorial.
During the mid 1980s, the enterprising Burford Nurse Development Unit (NDU) established a nursing beds pilot. It was widely acclaimed and for a while it captivated the profession. Oxford followed suit and what had become an interesting experiment took on a new significance. It seemed we could be witnessing the start of a whole new approach to nursing care in acute hospital settings. But inexplicably the interest faded, enthusiasm waned and the unit closed in 1989, despite some positive outcomes of the unit's evaluation. It could be that like so many innovations in nursing, the success of nursing beds would survive and thrive - provided the right mix of personalities remained to drive them forward. Remove the innovators and the innovation slowly dies.