Workers at four London NHS trusts begin strike

Unite members on a previous picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital

Thousands of workers at four London NHS trusts have gone on strike in a pay and staffing row.

More than 2,800 Unite members at Barts Health NHS Trust; Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust; East London Foundation Trust and Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust walked out on Wednesday.

Nurses, pathologists, cleaners and porters are among those taking part.

NHS England said the strike would have an "unprecedented impact on the NHS".

Chris Streather, London's regional NHS England medical director, said that urgent and emergency cases would be prioritised on strike days.

Unite's Sharon Graham said the action was planned "to combat low pay".

Barts Health NHS Trust staff will strike for a total of eight days, on 13 and 14 September and from 16 to 22 September.

Employees from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust are taking action on 13 and 14 September.

Staff at East London NHS Foundation Trust are only striking on Wednesday.

• Almost 3,000 London NHS workers set to strike

Unite members recently rejected a government pay offer, describing it as a "real terms pay cut".

Ms Graham said: "NHS employers must stop sweeping the staffing crisis under the carpet. Hospitals are so short of staff that patients are frequently being put at risk.

"Until the fundamental causes of low pay and impossible working conditions are resolved, the problem is only going to get worse."

'Longer waiting times'

NHS England's Mr Streather said almost all routine care would be affected.

Patients who have not been told of changes to their appointments are advised to attend as normal, he said.

A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust, which operates from four major hospital sites, said patients in "less urgent need of care" might experience longer waiting times.

"We will continue to provide urgent and emergency care and maternity care to people who need it," they added.

A spokesperson for Guy's and St Thomas' said the strike action would affect services across its hospital and community sites, and some appointments and procedures would be postponed.

A spokesperson for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust said that the action will affect the testing of blood samples in the pathology department.

And a spokesperson for the East London NHS Foundation Trust said that the trust respects the right to strike.

Unite warned of further and more widespread action if its concerns were not resolved.

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