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Thousands of nurses in England are not working today because they are on strike.

Nurses in half of England's hospitals are on strike from 8pm on Sunday until the end of today - bank holiday Monday.

The government says the strike will be very disruptive for patients.

The protests are part of a series of strikes by NHS staff in recent months. They want more pay to help with the cost of living crisis.

The 28-hour strike is being held by nurses who are members of the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) union,

It was originally supposed to last until Tuesday evening, but the government said this was illegal. The High Court agreed, and so the strike has been cut short.

Half of nurses in England's hospitals, mental health and community services will be participating in the walk out.

It will be the first time that some services like intensive care will be affected - this is the department in a hospital where people are treated if they're seriously ill, or if they're recovering from surgery.

Over the weekend union bosses agreed that nurses can be called in to provide a minimal level of staffing in intensive care and for trauma services.

Government Health Secretary Steve Barclay has called the latest walkout "disappointing" and accused the RCN of risking patient safety.

General secretary of the RCN Pat Cullen said they regret taking further action, but that "nursing staff are looking for a fair settlement that shows the government values and understands their profession".

The NHS is advising people who are seriously ill or injured to call 999 as usual, or 111 if it's not urgent.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing - the biggest nursing union in the country - voted for this strike action because they do not think they're getting paid enough.

Members of Unite, one of the smaller health unions, will also be taking some action on Monday.

They're demanding a better pay deal from the government not only to keep up with the current cost of living crisis, but also to attract more people into nursing, to help with understaffing.

The government has offered a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up last year's salary, depending on how senior they are, but the RCN say this isn't enough.

There will be a meeting between health unions, ministers and NHS bosses on Tuesday 2 May to discuss the offer.

Nurses have already walked out twice this year - on 6 and 7 February and on 18 and 19 January.

The RCN has said it will ask members about further strike action once this walkout is over.