Thousands march in London in support of health workers

Thousands have marched on Westminster to support those protesting about their pay and conditions in the NHS.

It's as nurses from 55 NHS trusts across the country take part in a 48 hour strike.

Health secretary, Steve Barclay insists the country can't afford a huge rise in salaries, which he claims would mean prices rising for longer in shops.

"My door, as I've said throughout this, has been open."

He added: "But ultimately we need to act in the interests of the patient."

Asked what his message is to patients who have missed appointments on Wednesday as a result of the disruption, Mr Barclay said: "We're focusing that £6.6 billion on how we get those elected backlogs down."

He added: "We have a clear plan to address the elected backlog and that's what the additional funding we're putting in is focused on."

Speaking outside UCL Hospital in north-west London Michelle Tran who is a nurse said she moved from the wards into research after nine months of work because it was "killing" her. She said patients are not getting the care they needed.

"I didn't feel like I could be there for each of them, although I was putting 110% in."

She went on to say that nurses who still work on the ward say it is "terrible" now.

Vehicles on the road beeped as nurses marched towards Downing Street.

One passenger in a van rolled down the window and waved an RCN "I support fair pay for nursing" badge.

The crowd chanted "claps don't pay the bills" as members of the public looked on from the pavements and the shops of London Theatreland.

One marching nurse held a sign that said: "We can't put patients first if you put nurses last."

Anne Gadsden, a retired member of the public, was at the picket line outside UCL Hospital in north-west London to represent the nurse looking after her child.

"I've come here to represent the nurses looking after my child.

"He's in intensive care... in an induced coma.

"So I'm here because she's looking after my son. She can't come so I'm here."

Ms Gadsden called the NHS "the most wonderful thing in the world" and said that it was "going under".

Asked if her son's care has been affected, she said it was the "quality of people" looking after him that was "holding it together".

Rishi Sunak has said his Government wants a "constructive dialogue" with trade unions amid a wave of strike action.

The Prime Minister, speaking to broadcasters at a police station in London, said: "We're very keen to have a constructive dialogue, not just with the nurses' union, but with unions across the public sector.

"At the beginning of the year, the Government wrote individually to all public sector unions inviting them in to have talks with their relevant ministers.

"I'm pleased to say that those talks are ongoing and we're keen to find a constructive way forward and bring these strikes to an end.

"Of course I understand the impact they're having on people's lives and I understand why people are frustrated.

"But we do also need to make sure that those conversations are based on what's reasonable, what's responsible for the country as we tackle inflation, which is good for everybody if we can get that down as quickly as possible, but also what's affordable."

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