Tradition retains the practice of attaching mental nurses to wards rather than to groups of patients, even though the wards are increasingly empty as patients come to lead more active lives in hospital. A system is described which enables nurses to relate more fully to the people in their care instead of having to confine their activities to the place in which only a part of the care is provided. This system involves all ward nurses in leaving their wards empty in ‘working hours', being relieved of the care of their intercurrently ill patients and undertaking in exchange the complete day care of their fitter patients in both wards and workplaces. The consequences of these changes are attractive to many nurses and helpful to many patients.