A survey of NHS staff has shown improvements in the overall experience of those working in the health service over the past year.

The NHSScotland Staff Survey for 2014 received over 55,000 responses from employees across the NHS, up by 10,000 from the 2013 survey.

They answered questions on a number of areas, covering issues such as training, staffing and management.

The results show an improvement in the proportion of staff giving a positive response in the majority of questions compared to the 2013 survey results.

Asked about whether they were happy to "go the extra mile" at work when required, 90% of staff agreed.

Elsewhere, 59% of people responded positively when asked if health boards act fairly and offer equality of opportunity, up by 15% from the 2013 survey, while 67% of staff agreed that the care of patients/service users is boards' top priority, up 12%.

When asked about being consulted about change at work, only 29% responded positively, while only 33% were positive about there being "enough staff for me to do my job properly".

Health Secretary Shona Robison met with staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to discuss the results of the survey.

She said: "This annual feedback from staff throughout the organisation is extremely important in letting us know what is going right and where we can make improvements.

"Under this Government, NHS staff numbers have risen to record levels, with increasing numbers of consultants, nurses and midwives delivering care for the people of Scotland this year.

"Clearly it is welcome that increasing numbers of staff find working for Scotland's NHS a positive experience and there are definite indications that we are moving in the right direction.

"However that is not to say that there aren't challenges to be addressed, in particular making staff feel more engaged and involved in the decisions being made within their health board."

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: "The results from this year's survey show that, overall, staff's experience of working for NHSScotland has improved in many areas and there has also been a welcome increase in the number of staff taking part in the survey.

"Given the pressures our NHS is currently facing, this reflects staff's dedication and commitment to the organisation."

The survey found that the number of nurses and midwives who believe it is safe to speak up and challenge the way things are done if they have concerns about quality has improved, up to 57% this year.

Mrs Fyffe said: "This is still an area which needs substantial improvement, but perhaps, like getting their priorities right, health boards are starting to realise that they must listen to their staff's concerns and take action."

Elsewhere only 25% of nurses agreed that there are enough staff for them to do their job properly.

"After years of cuts, the number of nurses and midwives working in our NHS is now going up, but so, too, is demand for services," Mrs Fyffe added.

"We cannot continue to ask nurses to juggle all the demands they face trying to deal with more and more patients, without enough staff."