IT was a unified front outside Furness General Hospital today as more than 100 nurses joined the picket line in the second day of strike action.

Thousands of nurses across England returned to the picket line this morning (January 19) as a bitter pay dispute with the Government continues.

Nursing staff from more than 55 NHS trusts took part in the industrial action following two days of action in December.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced that two further, bigger strikes will be held next month.

Phil Hunter is a picket line supervisor for the RCN and works as a district nurse for the Alfred Barrow Health Centre.

Mr Hunter was out on the Barrow picket line alongside colleagues since early this morning, describing the public support as ‘amazing’.

He said: “The general public has been amazing. We’ve had a constant line of cars going past and honking their horns.

“We’ve had a little bit of negativity, a few people have been shaking their heads, but the overwhelming majority of people are supportive.

“People have been giving us gifts of food and getting pies delivered, it’s just been amazing.”

A district nurse of more than 25 years, he hopes this week’s display of unity will prompt the Government into taking action.

“I joined the RCN as a student nurse in the 1980s, we didn’t strike in those days, but now it’s got to the point over the years where staffing levels have got worse and worse which is very much linked to pay,” he said.

“You can be the most dedicated nurse in the word but if you can’t pay your bills or buy your children a pair of shoes then something needs to change. People really are struggling, some hospitals have food banks for staff.

“We want safe staffing levels. People have concerns that strikes are not safe for patients, but we work with management at UHMBT to make sure it’s as safe as possible. We’ve not taken this decision lightly – a lot of people have lost sleep over this; this is the last resort.

“We need the Government to listen to negotiations on pay because it’s fallen so far behind to where it should be. Enough is enough.

“If we pay our nurses more, it will recruit and retain more staff. We come to work and do our jobs to the best of our ability, we want fairness and equity.

“This isn’t just about money, it’s about safety too. We want proper staffing to deliver exceptional care. We’re unified in this fight together.”