NHS staff in Hillingdon staged a four-hour strike today (Monday, November 24) as part of a national pay dispute.

Nurses and midwives at Hillingdon Hospital and Mount Vernon Hospital were among those to walk out at 7am, returning to work at 11am.

For the rest of the week they plan to 'work to rule', meaning they will do no more than the minimum required.

During this morning's strike, workers provided life and limb cover and cared for those in need of emergency treatment.

Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals in Pield Heath Road, Hillingdon and Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, said patients experienced minimal disruption as the workers took to their picket lines.

Spokesman Steve Watkins said: "Thirty-one staff took strike action this morning over the Government's decision on the 2014/15 pay award. The impact on patients and services was minimal, as the trust worked with its staff side colleagues to minimise disruption."

Ambulance staff are also taking part in the industrial action. London Ambulance Service says it expects to be under 'significant pressure' today as a result.

Together with their counterparts across the UK, the workers are protesting against a Government decision not to implement a recommended one per cent pay rise for all NHS employees.

Nationally, workers from 11 unions are taking part, led by Unison.

Dave Prentis, Unison's general secretary, said: “The fact is the independent NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) recommended a one per cent pay rise for all but this was rejected by the Government and now 60 per cent won’t even be getting a one per cent pay rise.

“The PRB have kept the industrial peace for the past 25 years. The Government should pay up and stop playing games.”

He added: "NHS workers don’t go on strike lightly but they do so carefully and safely. Patient safety is paramount and this is why workers stopped for just four hours.

 “All we’re asking for is fair pay. And the public understand that.  

 “The growing public support for health workers is overwhelming. They understand health workers are being reasonable. We are not talking big money or bonuses here." 

Last month, thousands of healthcare workers took part in the first strike over NHS pay for 30 years.

Ministers have agreed to the one per cent increase, but only for those without automatic pay rises.

The Department of Health says that by rolling out the increase for all NHS workers it would be putting front line jobs at risk.

A department 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 one 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."