A NURSE says she is at breaking point over the Government’s refusal to increase public sector wages.

Danielle Tiplady, of St Barnabas Road, Woodford Green, is one of thousands of nurses across the country calling on Ministers to abolish the one per cent cap on public sector pay rises.

Over the last seven years, nurses claim the cap has meant a 14 per cent real terms drop in their pay packets.

Combined with long, anti-social hours, and further cuts, nurses like Danielle say they are “in crisis”, while others are giving up the job altogether.

The 31-year-old said: “We do 13-hour days, we work nights, and often don’t get a break.

“On my days off I’m so tired I don’t really have the energy to socialise, so I don’t see my friends much.

“I don’t sleep well and I don’t have money to go out or on holiday.

“I don’t really know how I cope.”

After the Conservatives announced they would maintain the cap in May, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union asked its members if they would be willing to go on strike. Ninety-one per cent said yes.

Danielle added: “This is unprecedented – everyone is at breaking point.

“We work so hard and yet we haven’t had a pay rise in seven years.

“You feel undervalued and you wonder why you’re putting yourself through it – it’s depressing.

“If we don’t see changes in the autumn statement we will ballot for strike action.”

Figures show increasing public sector workers’ pay in line with the private sector would cost the Government £6.3 billion a year.

But RCN members are adamant that combined with other service cuts, the pay cap is putting patients at risk by damaging recruitment and alienating staff.

Danielle studied nursing at King’s College after a carer job she had back in Cornwall inspired her to sign up.

She claims it is “the best job in the world”, but her low wages and poor working conditions have made her seriously question her future.

She said: “We’re not asking for much.

“But enough is enough – this is people’s lives we’re dealing with here.

“Nurses are struggling so much they’re going to food banks to survive.

“It makes me so angry, we need to get the public on side to get the Government to listen to us.”

After taking a “magic money tree” to the Department of Health earlier this month, Danielle and her colleagues are organising community stalls in Ilford and South Woodford to raise awareness of the issue.

On July 27 they are taking part in a mass rally to lobby Ministers in central London.

RCN’s regional director for London Bernell Bussue added: “The public sector pay gap is unfair and illogical, and it needs to go.

“Nurses are being driven into financial hardship, out of London, and out of the profession altogether.

“It has seen London with the highest number of unfilled nursing posts it’s ever had, which means understaffed wards and overstretched staff.

“This summer of protest is about telling the Govevrnment our members have had enough of pay restraint, something we’ll be making very clear outside Downing Street on July 27.”

The Department of Health have been contacted for comment.

To find out how to get involved in the Scrap the cap campaign, see the RCN website.