Three-quarters of NHS staff are over-worked and more than a third have experienced some form of bullying or harassment in the workplace, according to an independent survey published today.

However, despite the long hours and demanding work environment – one in six employees reported being physically attacked and four in 10 suffered work-related stress last year – three-quarters of those surveyed said that they were satisfied with their jobs.

According to the national survey, carried out by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), of more than 200,000 people, 73% of staff said that they were generally satisfied with their jobs, and 63% thought their employer had a "positive attitude" towards providing a good work life balance for staff.

However, 37% of staff had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work in the previous 12 months – 28% from patients/clients or their relatives, 7% from their manager/supervisor and 11% from colleagues. Twenty-two per cent of staff reported some injury or illness in the previous year as a result of: moving and handling; needlestick and sharps injuries; slips, trips or falls; or exposure to dangerous substances.

Also, 47% of staff reported having seen at least one error that could have hurt either staff or patients in the previous month; 34% had seen and error that could have hurt patients, and 36% had seen an error that could have hurt staff.

The health union, Unison, said that the survey demonstrated the "heavy workload, pressure and stress that staff face", as well as the "unacceptably high" levels of violence and threats.

Karen Jennings, Unison Head of Health, said: “The results of the survey mirror many of the issues that Unison has been campaigning on for years. We know the tremendous commitment that NHS staff display, and it simply cannot be right that they face a barrage of violence and abuse on an almost daily basis."

She added: "Employers have a duty of care and when you see statistics which show that 39% of staff are suffering from workplace stress it is clear that they need to take action to relieve the pressure."

NHS Chief Executive Sir Nigel Crisp said that the survey showed the "commitment" and "passion" that NHS people bring to their jobs.

He added: "The NHS is only as good as its staff. It is vitally important that our workforce are properly trained, protected and supported so they can give the best possible care to patients.

"This is what we are working to do. We have a big increase in staff year on year. We have good training and development programmes, and we have a zero tolerance approach to violence against staff."

(gmcg)