'TOO FEW OF US' SAY HALF OF NHS STAFF.

Byline: By EMILY COOK

NEARLY half of NHS staff feel overstretched, a watchdog survey reveals today.

The Healthcare Commission's annual poll of workers found 47 per cent thought there were not enough people to do the job properly.

And 31 per cent did not feel appreciated by their trust.

The study, which included responses collected last year from 160,000 workers at all 390 trusts, also found more than half of ambulances were not kept in good condition.

Other results included 35 per cent of staff saying they had witnessed in the previous month an incident that could have hurt employees or patients - up from 31 per cent in 2007. And more than 20 per cent of workers said bosses did not communicate clearly.

But the survey also found staff experiencing workrelated stress dropped from 33 per cent to 28 per cent.

And 71 per cent said handwashing materials were available when needed, up from 61 per cent the previous year.

Anna Walker, the commission's chief executive, said progress was being made but more work was needed.

She said: "There are real lessons to be learned from this survey about leadership, management and team work.

"Staff feel informed but not involved in the decisions that affect their working life and don't feel valued by their trust."

CAPTION(S):

LESSONS Watchdog chief Anna Walker