THE Royal College of Nursing (RCN) launched the biggest strike in its 106-year history today, warning that an NHS staff exodus is “costing patients their lives.”

Drivers showed support for thousands of striking hospital and health trust staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by beeping their horns and cheering from car windows, while members of the public brought chocolates to picket lines nationwide.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said the 24-hour walkout, set to be followed by a second next Tuesday, was a “tragic day for nursing and patients.”

But she stressed that the action, which is targeting non-emergency care, is unavoidable as this year’s massively below-inflation wage deal — worth 4.75 per cent for most workers — is exacerbating record high staffing vacancies and further endangering patient safety.

Outside Liverpool’s Aintree University Hospital, nurses held placards with slogans reading: “You clapped for us during Covid, now act for us” and “If nurses are out here, there’s something wrong in there.”

One worker, Pamela Jones, said: “The public need to understand the pressures that everyone’s under. You’ve only got to come into A&E and see the queues, there’s no beds.

“We want to save our NHS and I think this is the way forward.

“We don’t want to be here. I was really torn about striking because it’s not something I ever, ever thought in my lifetime I’d have to do, but the government has pushed us to this — I hope it listens.”

Ministers repeated their claims today that above-inflation salary increases are “unaffordable,” despite billions of pounds of fraudulent Covid-19 loans being written off and a failure to rule out further increases in defence spending.

Health union Unison slammed reports today that the government is set to reconvene the supposedly independent NHS pay review body, saying only “direct talks” between unions and ministers will resolve the dispute. 

Unison head of health Sara Gorton said the body, which has its remit set by Downing Street, had “already failed” workers by proposing this year’s real-terms wage cut. 

“Ministers are hiding behind the pay review body to wriggle out of any responsibility for the mess they’ve created,” she charged. 

Liverpool staff nurse Kelly Hopkins, who has worked in the NHS for 25 years, called for action as her colleagues were “coming into work to care for other people and no-one’s caring for them.

“They’re having to use foodbanks, they’re coming in cold, they’re going without food to feed their children, it’s just crazy.”

Ms Hopkins added that wards are understaffed, which is “affecting patient care — unless we stand up and say something, it’s just going to get worse.”

Linda Tovey, a critical care nurse who joined a picket line outside central London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, warned that there were not enough staff and the system was “under so much stress.”

Reflecting on her pay, Ms Tovey reported cutting down on cooking “since I realised to cook one meal costs the same as it used to cost for a whole day’s electricity.”

Dozens of strikers picketing at Leeds General Infirmary cheered as virtually every other passing vehicle honked horns in support.

The show of solidarity even extended to four passing police cars, with the occupants turning on their blue lights and sirens and waving to workers before driving off, the Morning Star was told.

Ambulances heading to A&E also joined in. More than 10,000 paramedic staff, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff — represented by Unite, Unison and GMB — are also set to down tools over pay on December 21 as the disputes look set to continue.