About 30,000 nurses across the country took to streets to start strike action on Wednesday for eight hours, in protest against pay and working conditions.

It comes after failed negotiations in which nurses voted on Monday to go ahead with the strike, rejecting a revised pay offer from district health boards.

The strike went from 11am until 7pm. A number of picket lines and marches are scheduled for the day. Anyone with an elective appointment should know by now whether it had been postponed, but if not, they should check with their DHB.

If people do need urgent care, they are being assured they will still be able to attend hospital or dial 111. If you do not know whether it is urgent, you are being asked to call Healthline or your GP.

Both sides have agreed to meet after the strike, to continue the negotiations.

A NZNO press release says that it was heart breaking that it came to the strike action. The health workers feel so undervalued that they would choose industrial action. Nobody wants this and the best way for future strikes should be avoided would be through a fair and decent offer. The government and the DHB need to come up together with a profession-enhancing offer right now that truly recognises the contribution nursing staff make and the future of nursing for the wellbeing and safety of us all. An over of 30,000 nursing staff took part in the nationwide industrial action.

– with inputs from RNZ