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Workload and work pressures have increased in the past five years according to 84% of health workers responding to a health unions' survey. And 72% of the nearly 6000 respondents surveyed this summer say their workloads aren't reasonable,

Nurses dominated the 5982 health workers across the sector taking part in the online and print survey organised by YesWeCare.nz - a coalition of health unions and action groups calling for better health funding in the lead up to this year's election.

More than 2380 nurses took part in the survey along with allied health staff (768), administration (643), caregivers (354), community support workers (325), and 1500 'others' including ambulance, scientific, technical and health management staff.

Understaffing was seen as a major issue by 90 per cent of respondents with nearly half 'strongly disagreeing' and the rest disagreeing that the health system currently had the staff and resources required to give the healthcare people "need when they need it".

Another major issue respondents agreed on was health funding with 90 per cent believing the government's current level of funding was affecting Kiwi's access to healthcare (62% believing funding had a major affect and 28% a moderate affect).  And 82 per cent believed health funding was affecting their workload and work pressure

When asked to compare now with five years ago 84 per cent say their workload and work pressures increased over the last five years and 61% say New Zealanders access to healthcare had decreased over that time period. Also 72 per cent say their workload and work pressures aren't reasonable.

Lesley Harry, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation industrial advisor, said underfunding was now affecting patient safety.

"Poor access to care, care-rationing, health-worker burnout and strained infrastructure are now common," she says. "The 2016 Budget made it clear that the Government was not properly assessing current or future funding needs."

The survey was carried out in the lead-up to the YesWeCare.nz launching a roadshow campaign starting this Saturday (March 4) in Bluff and finishing in Cape Reinga on March 29 taking in 36 towns in between.

The YesWeCare.nz coalition includes health sector unions the Public Service Association (PSA), New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), E tū, First Union and Unite – which between them represent 83,000 workers in health.  It also includes action groups ActionStation and the People's Mental Health Review.