Hospital staff working over the Millennium holiday period will not be paid any extra cash.

Nurses at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital are furious at the decision - particularly as colleagues in other hospital trusts will get four times their salary over the New Year.

Debbie Pearman, hospital convenor for the Royal College of Nursing, assured patients that no nurses would go on strike.

She said: "Nurses and doctors are going to be on the front line. We have got to make sure there are people there to look after patients. Morale is low and people already work extremely hard. "Nurses will work not for the hospital trust but for their colleagues. It is a very difficult situation and we are still negotiating."

The RCN want members to receive a lump sum for working on December 31, but the Government has made no national agreement over pay for the holiday period - leading to regional discrepancies.

Mike Fleming, director of personnel and administration at the John Radcliffe, said: "We were bitterly disappointed that a national agreement on pay over the Millennium was not reached. The unhappiness we now have was absolutely predictable and is unnecessary, and gives the wrong message to the staff." Sheila Snooks, Unison convenor at Banbury's Horton Hospital, said: "Some trusts have already agreed to pay their staff a higher rate over the Millennium, recognising that staff will be paying more for childcare and transport over this period. If this had been agreed nationally we would not be in this scenario."

In Oxfordshire, staff will receive no more than they would for working a regular night shift or a Bank Holiday.

Story date: Friday 14 May

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