NHS staff are staging a four-hour protest this morning against the decision to go against recommendations to increase pay for workers.
The Department of Health argue that by going through with the one per cent increase, set out by the NHS pay review body, it could be putting front line jobs at risk.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "NHS staff are our greatest asset and we want to make the current pay system fairer - which is why we have put forward proposals that would guarantee all staff would get at least a 1 per cent pay rise this year and next, but these have been rejected by the unions.
"We have taken tough decisions to increase the NHS budget, but we can't afford a consolidated pay rise in addition to increments without risking 10,000 frontline jobs."
This morning workers from Northern Ireland and England from across nine unions walked out over the decision, including Northwick Park, Ealing, West Middlesex University Hospital, Hammersmith, Central Middlesex Hospital, Charing Cross and St Mary's Hospital.
More than 100 soldiers were drafted in to drive ambulances during the strike.
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "This is not about our members demanding huge banker-sized bonuses, or asking for the similarly large bonuses and pay increases given to many senior managers in the NHS.
"It is about our members having to fight just to get the very modest 1% pay award recommended by the NHS pay review body.
"It is also an award which still lags way behind the rising cost of living and will see our members earning the same in 2016 as they did in 2013."
