Nurses in the United Kingdom carried out an unprecedented one-day strike today, Thursday, which they described as the "last resort" in their struggle to improve wages and working conditions, despite warnings that the move could put patients at risk.

Up to 100,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing union in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland stopped work at 8:00 AM in a move that will continue until 8:00 PM GMT after they rejected a government offer to improve their wages.

Several protesters also gathered outside government hospitals in London in a strike that is the first in the history of the "Royal College of Nursing" since its establishment 106 years ago.

The move by the "Royal College of Nursing" is part of a growing wave of strikes by public and private sector employees.

The United Kingdom is witnessing a cost of living crisis with rapid inflation surpassing wage growth.

Also, union leaders and medical staff emphasize that nurses are under great pressure due to staff shortages, while national health service facilities suffer from a backlog of medical appointments, worsened by numerous cancellations during the pandemic.

Some medical services will remain exempt from this move; such as chemotherapy departments, dialysis, and intensive care, but the number of staff for other services will be reduced to the minimum during the strike, according to the "Royal College of Nursing".

Also, the acting CEO of the National Health Service operators, Saffron Cordery, stressed that the organization is making every effort to minimize the impact of the strike on patients. She said, "The scene will be mixed across the country," pointing to efforts being made with local unions to alleviate the severity of the strike.

The strike was voted on November 9, when two days of action were announced for December 15 and 20, after the "government refused to negotiate".

While nurses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland went on strike, the union in Scotland decided to cancel its participation in the strike after successful negotiations with the regional government, where it received a new government wage offer.

Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) stated in a statement that staff were left with no other choice after the government refused to resume wage talks, according to the network.

But for Health Secretary Steve Barclay, he said "This is a tough time for everyone," and the government cannot meet demands that are "unaffordable" presented by the Royal College of Nursing and "represent a 19.2% pay increase".

Based on estimates, the real salary of nurses has dropped by 20% since 2010, especially due to the current cost of living crisis, as the inflation rate exceeded 11%. The annual salary for a junior nurse is £27,000 (31,400 euros).