NURSES in England could strike until Christmas if Tory ministers refuse to budge on their latest below-inflation pay offer, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warned today.

General secretary Pat Cullen demanded a better deal to avoid further walkouts across the austerity-hit NHS, but assured patients that nurses will come off picket lines to deal with serious emergencies.

The RCN announced on Friday that its members will down tools for 48 hours from 8pm on April 30 after 54 per cent of respondents defied the union’s leadership and voted to reject a cash payment for 2022-23 and 5 per cent for this year.