STAFF at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are voting on whether to launch strike action over take-home pay cuts, unions announced today.

Unison, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Unite, PCS and Prospect are balloting workers who inspect, monitor and regulate hospitals, care homes, GP practices, dental surgeries and ambulance and mental health services.

The public body imposed a massively below-inflation wage boost of between just 2.75 and 3.5 per cent — plus one-off payments or either £100 or £150 — in December, according to unions.