<p>Aim To explore and describe the activities and approaches that constitute practice development by providing an insight into the qualities and skills exhibited by staff in practice development roles.</p> <p>Method This involved examining 177 articles, plus data collected during focus group interviews with 60 staff around the UK and telephone interviews with 25 clinical staff. The focus groups and telephone interviews formed part of an earlier published study Garbett and McCormack (2002).</p> <p>Results A range of skills and qualities were highlighted. These include being effective, having vision, being motivated, empathic, experiential, cognitive, political, communicative, facilitative and possessing clinical skills.</p> <p>Conclusion The work of practice developers is of central importance in the light of NHS policy developments, such as the NHS Plan or the response to the Bristol inquiry.</p>