Nurses in Buckinghamshire will not take part in an upcoming national strike after failing to vote in favour of industrial action.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the trade union which represents nurses, midwives and nursing support workers has confirmed that union members at three NHS trusts operating in the borough did not return enough ballots to reach the legal threshold for strike action.

Staff at Buckinghamshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs services in Bucks, will not take part in upcoming strikes.

Announcing the news on Wednesday, the union says nursing staff at the majority of NHS employers in the UK have voted to take strike action over pay levels and patient safety concerns.

A number of other trusts in the South East, including South Central Ambulance Service, have voted in favour of strike action and this is expected to begin later this year.

Action across the UK will take place in the NHS trusts or health boards that have met the relevant legal requirements.

The RCN says many of the biggest hospitals in England will see strike action by union members but others narrowly missed the legal turnout thresholds to qualify for action.

Poor pay contributes to staff shortages across the UK, affecting patient safety. There are 47,000 unfilled registered nurse posts in England’s NHS alone.

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: "Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard. Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.

“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this. While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.

“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses. Standards are falling too low and we have strong public backing for our campaign to raise them. This winter, we are asking the public to show nursing staff you are with us.”