Return-to-practice is an important issue for NHS employers and employees. However, little has been written on this area. This article reviews current literature from the perspective of nurses, employers and managers, and critiques a number of empirical studies. Findings from a recent a telephone interview survey on the recruitment and retention of nurses in acute NHS trusts in England which was conducted as part of a larger study–the Nurses’ Early Leaving Study (NEXT) commissioned by the European Union–are reported. This study may help to explain why return-to-practice programmes are not having the impact the government intended.