Story by Eli Haidari.

Nurses from Teddington Memorial Hospital have taken to the picket line this week, calling for increased pay to ensure safer staffing levels.

The Teddington nurses have joined thousands across the country taking strike action this week. Not put off by the freezing temperatures, they were seen holding placards and chanting in unison on the road outside of the hospital throughout Wednesday (January 18).

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced that two further, bigger strikes will be held next month , while the GMB union is expected to announce further ambulance work strike dates.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said while he recognises the cost of living pressures on NHS staff, "unaffordable pay rises" will stoke inflation.

Writing in the Independent, he said: "If we provide unaffordable pay rises to NHS staff, we will take billions of pounds away from where we need it most. Unaffordable pay hikes will mean cutting patient care and stoking the inflation that would make us all poorer."

He insisted there is "much common ground" between both sides of the dispute, stating that ministers "want to work with union leaders to improve the NHS and deliver better care" and that a "fair way" to a resolution can be found.

Meanwhile, the NHS is reminding patients to attend all their usual appointments unless they have been contacted, and to seek urgent care if needed during the strikes.

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Teddington residents have been showing their support for those on strike, with many drivers beeping their horns as they passed the picket line.

Support has also flooded across social media for nurses at Teddington Memorial Hospital with one writing: "You helped my dad when he was in palliative care, he was looked after amazingly and some of you even came to his funeral which meant a lot to the family."

Another added: "I spent three weeks in there last year and they were fantastic, solidarity with the nurses!"