Nurses across the UK voted to go on strike this week in the sector's first industrial action of its kind.
Around half of all hospitals are expected to be affected by the strike that will see routine operations grind to a halt.
This is the first time in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 106-year history that they balloted their 300,000 NHS members over taking action.
Many of the countries’ biggest hospitals will be affected by the unprecedented mass walkouts, but not every trust decided to strike.
Staff were pushed over the edge by No10’s latest offer of a four per cent rise, as inflation stands at 17.6 per cent.
RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said: “Anger has become action, our members are saying enough is enough.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming strikes, from which trusts are striking and which aren’t to what services will be affected.
Why are nurses striking?
Nurses have suffered a 20 per cent pay fall in real terms since 2010 - when the Conservatives began their current reign of power.
Nursing vacancies and the NHS waiting list are at a record high and staff are stretched thin, being ‘burned out’ by the profession.
The union said that underpaid staff were leaving the professions in their droves as the number of students taking up nursing courses also was falling.
With low pay and growing hours and stress at work, nurses have been pushed past their breaking point, and turned to striking for the first time ever.
How will the NHS be affected?
Thousands of routine operations and appointments will be disrupted by the strikes, but emergency care will be maintained.
This will only contribute to the already record-long waiting list that the NHS currently has, with over seven million Brits in line.
Some of the most serious cancer cases could be treated and urgent diagnostic procedures and assessments will be staffed if they are needed to help deal with life-threatening conditions or those that lead to permanent disability.
Chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor said it would do all it could to ‘minimise harm to patients’.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “We’re already coping with the gap that exists between the demand that is currently on the health service from the public. We’ve got to meet that demand, and we all know that we are heading into what already is a very difficult winter.
“Then we add industrial action into that and it’s going to be an extremely difficult job. The priority will be to try to minimise patient harm.”
Patricia Marquis, RCN director for England, told BBC Breakfast that current NHS services were “not safe” for patients.
She said there are some services that need to continue during strike action to keep patients safe “and we will agree with employers what those are and which staff should be working”.
How did things get to this?
RCN has historically been resistant to NHS strike action and they opposed the last widespread strike action which took place in 1988, led by smaller unions.
In its 106-year history it has never balloted for a strike until it recently turned to its 300,000 NHS membership.
But after seeing such a huge cut in real term pay, the RCN has pushed for a pay rise of five per cent above inflation - meaning a 17.6 per cent pay rise.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the demands for a 17.6 per cent pay rise were ‘out of step’ with current economic conditions.
The government said the demands came with a £billion price tag and was ‘not deliverable’.
The minister said that: “These are challenging times, which is why we accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body in full and have given over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year.
"This is on top of a three per cent pay increase last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.”
Scotland offered a flat rate of just over £2,200, which means a newly-qualified nurse would get around eight per cent more.
Who is striking?
The strikes are organised on trust level, with each hospital needing to clear a 50 per cent turnout threshold for it to take place.
However, RCN are looking at ways to coordinate the strikes across the UK.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, every single service voted for action and in Wales all but one backed decided to strike.
However, in England, turnout was too low for strikes to take place in almost half of NHS trusts.
Only 102 out of 215 NHS trusts in the country voted to strike.
Some of the UK’s largest hospitals will be taking part including Guys and St Thomas in London, which sits opposite the House of Commons, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, University Hospital Wales in Cardiff and Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
Full list of trusts that will strike
East Midlands
- East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB (Joined Up Care Derbyshire)
- NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
- Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Eastern
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
- Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
- NHS Mid and South Essex ICB
- NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB
- NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB
London
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
- Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
- Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS North Central London ICB
- NHS South West London ICB
- NHS Resolution
North West
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Found Trust
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Found Trust
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Midlands and Lancashire CSU
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Found Trust
- Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership
- St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Health Education England
- NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB
- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Northern
- North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- North of England CSU (NECS)
South East
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- South East Coast Ambulance Service
- Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Kent and Medway ICB
- NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
South West
- Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- South Western Ambulance Service NHS Found Trust
- Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)
- Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
- NHS Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (BSW Together)
- NHS Devon ICB (One Devon)
- NHS Dorset ICB (Our Dorset)
- NHS Gloucestershire ICB (One Gloucestershire)
West Midlands
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
- The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
- Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust
And here are the trusts that aren't striking:
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
- Ashford and St Peter's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Bradford District NHS Foundation Trust
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
- Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
East Cheshire NHS Trust
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
East London NHS Foundation Trust
East Of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
Isle of Wight NHS Trust
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
North East London NHS Foundation Trust
North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Project Nightingale NHS Trust
Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Services Hub For East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
South Tyneside And Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn. NHS Foundation Trust
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
University Hospital of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust
University Hospitals of North Midlands
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
West London NHS Trust
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
Whittington Health NHS Trust
Wye Valley NHS Trust
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust