STORIES about problems in the National Health Service are now an almost daily part of the news diet, relayed in newspapers and on television. For every bad story printed or broadcast, a good story often goes untold. Today's news for York is typically mixed.

The Commission for Health Improvement, the Government's hospital watchdog, finds that nursing levels in York are among the worst in the country. This is clearly not what anyone wants to hear.

Staff shortages place those who work for York Health Trust under considerable pressure, while also raising the possibility that patient care might suffer. Importantly, a union representative told this paper that "patients are in no way placed in an unsafe position", which is reassuring. However, stressed-out workers are not happy or productive workers, so the situation should still cause concern.

Finding new nursing staff is a problem throughout the country. In York, there are a number of explanations. As patient care has increased, nursing numbers have not kept pace. Also, many staff are reaching retirement age and will soon be leaving. Add to these factors the high cost of housing in York, and it is easy to see how such difficulties arise. There is no simple solution, no one has yet invented an "instant nurse" kit - so training takes time and commitment.

This is a slow process as there is no ready pool of people waiting to fill these important jobs.

The other piece of bad news highlighted by the commission is the problem of bed-blocking, which has long been criticised by this newspaper. Such delays, the report comments, are "detrimental to the patient, their families and also Trust staff". However, the Trust was also praised for its hard work, commitment to staff, good clinical risk management and the introduction of patient services assistants.

And, as our readers' letters so often illustrate, many patients continue to be extremely grateful for the treatment they receive in York. So with the bad news comes the good.

Updated: 10:53 Tuesday, February 19, 2002