Hundreds of health workers took strike action in a protest at the Government's controversial decision not to give them a 1% pay rise, including midwives taking action for the first time in their history.

Picket lines were mounted outside hospitals and ambulance stations across Sussex for four hours from 7am.

Now workers will take action short of a strike from Tuesday to Friday when members will stop working through their breaks and make sure they take them.

Several trade unions will be involved in the action, including those representing nurses, paramedics, hospital porters and ambulance crews as well as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

Pickets were hospitals including Brighton, Hove, Worthing and Haywards Heath.

Unions have been in talks with NHS managers and contingency plans are in place to ensure patient safety during the action.

Unison regional organiser Caroline Fife said it was the first time in 32 years that NHS workers had taken strike action over pay.

She said: “Staff in Sussex have had not had a pay increase at the level of inflation for five years and living in an expensive area means they cannot make ends meet.

“The cost of living in Sussex to cover rent and bills means some full-time workers now have to miss meals and having a bath. “NHS staff providing services to the community and often working extra hours for free should have a reasonable standard of living.

“This is not a decision that they have taken lightly but there comes a point when they need to make a stand.

“Staff are working under increasing pressure and many are now opting to leave the NHS simply because they can’t afford it.

“This, in turn, leads to a growing recruitment problem for NHS trusts and puts even more stress on the staff who remain.”

The union says the action, which is taking place across the UK, is due to a Government decision not to implement the 1% pay rise of the NHS Pay Review Body.