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It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) prepares to ballot 300,000 nurses working in the NHS on whether they would be prepared to support a ballot for industrial action.

At the RCN's annual Congress in Harrogate in April, RCN General Secretary Dr Peter Carter announced his intention to write to MPs across the UK to find out where they stand on the issue of nurses' pay and whether they back the independent pay review body's recommendation that nurses receive this year's 2.5 per cent pay award in full. By choosing to ignore the Pay Review Body and pay the award in two instalments, the government has effectively reduced the value of the award to 1.9 per cent.

Dr Carter said: 'At our annual Congress in April nurses spoke with one voice that the government's decision to stage this year's pay award in breach of the independent Pay Review Body is unjust, undeserved and unacceptable.

'It is clear from the response we have received so far that many MPs of all political persuasions also believe the government is just plain wrong on this issue. I would like to thank them for supporting our campaign for a fair pay deal for nurses and I urge those MPs who have not yet done so to follow their example.'

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