MANY more NHS staff say they are trained in infection control and that hand-washing materials are always available when they need them, says the Healthcare Commission.

Findings of the sixth annual survey of NHS staff also show a decline in the number of workers who say they experienced bullying, harassment or abuse by patients or their relatives and that nine out of 10 feel they make a difference for patients.

Believed to be one of the largest surveys of staff in the world, the 2008 NHS Staff survey questionnaires were completed between October and December by 160,000 workers from all 390 NHS trusts.