Responding to Royal College of Nursing news of dates in December when nurses are set to strike, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

"Nobody wants to see strikes when the NHS is about to experience what may be its hardest ever winter but we understand how strongly nurses feel and why it has come to this.

"We urge the government to act fast and talk to nurses and union leaders to find a way to avert strikes.

"Trusts up and down the country have been planning for industrial action. Not all of them will be affected directly but those that are will do everything in their power to minimise disruption for patients.

"Trust leaders' priorities are ensuring the safe delivery of care and supporting the wellbeing of staff who continue to work flat out in the face of below-inflation pay awards, severe staff shortages and ever-increasing workloads."