UPDATE: Strike called off - BBC
NHS workers will walk out for 12 hours from 9am to 9pm on Thursday, January. 29, with ambulance staff taking action from noon to midnight, over the Government's decision to reject an independently recommended 1% pay rise.

Staff are then expected to work to rule between January 30 and February 24, by working contracted hours and taking their breaks but not doing unpaid overtime. This will be followed another 24-hour strike on February 25.

NHS staff have already taken two four-hour stoppages in October and November

“Our members are demonstrating their concern for patient safety. I only wish the employers and Government would do the same.” said Tony Jones UNISON South East Regional Head of Health.

“Instead they are being completely irresponsible by refusing to have meaningful negotiations on how we resolve this dispute. And they are putting patients lives at risk.

“Our members’ pay has been frozen or held down for the past five years and there is no end in sight. On average, they have lost around 10% in the value of their pay over the life of this parliament.

“We now have no option but to escalate and plan for longer strikes. The anger among health workers has reached levels where they are now ready to walk out for 24 hours. NHS staff have been singled out by this coalition government for the worst treatment across the public sector.

“Other groups will get their recommended pay increases – for MPs this is 11%.”

Pickets are expected at the Royal South Hampshire Hospital and Southampton General on Thursday.