'My partner has to be support me to do the job I love - if we were both nurses one of us would have to quit'

Sarah Frances has worked as a nurse at The Christie hospital in south Manchester for over a decade. It's a job she's always loved.

But as the cost of living soars, and her pay fails to keep up, by the time she's paid for childcare, the mum says she is left with very little spare cash at the end of the month.

Fortunately, her partner's income is able to support them both, so she can continue doing the job she's always wanted. She says it shouldn't be like this.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

As a Band 5 nurse, Sarah earns just under an £18 an hour - that's despite having worked for the NHS for over 10 years. She says she has often considered changing to a job with better pay, or more sociable hours.

She is one of many nurses across the country who is taking part in industrial action today (May 1). The latest round of strikes coordinated by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union began at 8pm on Sunday (April 30) and will finish at 11.59pm today.

Waving placards demanding 'fair pay for nursing staff', Sarah joined a picket line outside The Christie hospital on Wilmslow Road this morning - along with dozens of her colleagues.

As they stood chanting 'what do we want? Fair pay' and 'when do we want it? Now', they were supported by onlookers who beeped their car horns or shouted messages of encouragement from across the road.

The RCN announced the latest 28-hour strike after voting to reject the latest government offer of 5 per cent. The union says the real-terms pay cut their members have been experiencing for years is pushing people out of the nursing profession and putting patient safety at risk.

Comparing the state of her profession from when she first nursing, Sarah says some