HOSPITAL staff will go on strike across the region today as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

Staff, including nurses and midwives, are to stage a new four-hour strike nationally between 7am and 11am over the Government’s decision not to accept a recommended one per cent pay rise.

The protest over pay comes as medical secretaries at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are continuing negotiations over plans to “down band” medical secretaries down from pay band four to three.

The trust has stated only about 40 members of staff will be affected. However Unite the Union said it could affect 120 people and will mean some staff members could lose about £3,000 a year after pay protection stops after two years.

Terry Cunliffe, of Unite the Union, said some 100 staff members attended a heated meeting at York Hospital led by the director of HR, Sue Holden. He said: “Hospital leaders would have been very chastened by the meeting, it was packed.

“They seriously underestimated the tenacity of the medical secretaries.

“They feel very demoralised the trust would even consider such a thing. The concern was raised that if this went through a number of them would consider leaving. That would have a massive impact if the best people were to leave.”

He said it was suggested that the medical secretaries in York were moved to the same pay grade as their new colleagues at Scarborough Hospital. The top pay for band four is £22,016 and for band three is £19,268.

However, Mr Cunliffe said the Trust had made it clear the consultation was ongoing and further discussions would be had.

A spokesperson for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “More than 220 medical secretaries are employed across the Trust. It is expected that no more than 20 percent of these staff will be affected. For those affected the Trust employs a generous pay protection arrangement which means no-one’s pay will be affected immediately. It should be noted that there may also be opportunities for pay banding to increase depending on the role and responsibilities of individual secretaries.”

The unrelated national strike today is the second to be held over NHS pay. In October thousands of health workers, including nurses, midwives and ambulance staff, have taken part in the first strike over pay for more than 30 years.

A York Hospital Trust spokesman said: "A number of our staff are expected to take part in national industrial action on 24 November 2014 between the hours of 7 and 11am in response to the Government’s decision on the 2014/15 pay award.

"We recognise that staff have the right to voice their concerns in this way, and we have been working with our staff to ensure we continue to provide safe care for our patients."