The theme of the Annual Professional Conference of the Royal College of Nursing was 'Standards of Nursing Care', when the Report of the World Health Organization Fifth Expert Committee on Nursing was used as a basis for the discussions. Papers were presented in the context of basic and post-basic nursing education, hospital and domiciliary nursing and nursing research. Miss H.M. Simpsom, B.A., S.R.N., gave a résumé of the Report of the WHO Committee, of which she was a member. Mis B.I.R. Dodwell discussed four major problems which militate against the achievement of good nursing standards at the present time. The curriculum was named first, together with the conflict of trying to provide the right kind of nurse for the 1970s, while giving consideration to present needs. Next, came the candidates and their recruitment. It was suggested that recruitment of student nurses should be separated from recruitment for service. Third, the control of nursing education and the fact that the claims of the nursing service get constant priority over education, which was deplored. Finally, there is the problem of too few teachers of nursing. On domiciliary nursing, Miss L. Hockey felt it to be a necessary contribution of the profession to the community it serves to make it possible for the aged, the sick and the handicapped to be cared for in their own homes, if they so desired. Miss K.J.W. Wilson, B.Sc., outlined the organization of the Department Nursing Studies of Edinburgh University, and the courses available for undergraduates and for registered nurses. She also spoke of research as a major responsibility of a University Department and how this was carried out. Finally, Miss Simpson spoke of the present situation in nursing research in the United Kingdom in relation to the framework suggestion in the World Health Organization Report. The Royal College of Nursing has accepted an invitation from the Ministry of Health to be set up a project to study standards of nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]