Nurses are set to engage in a massive strike over pay union officials said that "large swathes of the country" had voted for industrial action.
The NHS could be brought to its knees ahead of Christmas, with mass cancellations and delays in appointments likely.
A union source told The Observer that the strike "will see the majority of services taken out, and picket lines across the country".
Union officials say that the pay of some experienced nurses has declined by 20% in real terms and have called for a 5% increase plus inflation - totalling around 15%.
The government has said that the average basic annual pay for nurses would increase from £35,600 to around £37,000 from March 2022, which equates to a rise of 4%.
There is concern that the NHS could fall into a deeper crisis if nurses strike en masse, with a record 7 million people already waiting for hospital treatment in England at the end of August.
More than 300,000 members of Britain’s largest nursing union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) were polled about prospective strike action- the biggest in its 106-year history.
"Life-preserving" care will be maintained during the strikes, as per the RCN's strike guidelines. This includes emergency interventions, maintenance of therapeutic services and urgent diagnostic procedures.
Union officials say the goodwill and expertise of nursing staff is being “exploited”.
RCN's general secretary Pat Cullen said the strike aciton "will be as much for patients as it is for nurses – we have their support in doing this".
She added: “Patients are at great risk when there aren’t enough nurses.
“Huge numbers of staff – both experienced and newer recruits – are deciding they cannot see a future in a nursing profession that is not valued nor treated fairly.”
She added: “As we begin action, politicians in every part of the UK will be challenged to back their nursing staff and understand the strength of public support.”
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