LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — UK nurses on Thursday begin an unprecedented strike as a "last resort" in their fight for better wages and working conditions, despite warnings it could put patients at risk.

Up to 100,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are holding a one-day stoppage from 0800 to 2000 GMT after rejecting a government pay offer.

Ameera, a senior nurse in London, told AFP that "we have not chosen industrial action lightly." The strike is the first in the Royal College of Nursing union's 106-year history.

"We're tired. We're fed up," added the nurse, who asked that her last name not be reported. "We need a pay rise now to make a living."

The RCN wants a pay rise significantly above inflation which surged to a 41-year high of 11.1 percent in October, falling slightly to 10.7 percent last month.

The government maintains the demands are unaffordable and Health Secretary Steve Barclay called the strikes "deeply regrettable."

The UK is currently grappling with a cost-of-living crisis as spiralling inflation outstrips wage growth.

Union leaders and health workers also said nurses were being overworked due to staff shortages, as the state-run National Health Service battled a backlog in appointments made worse by cancellations during the pandemic.

Chemotherapy, dialysis, intensive care and high-dependency units, as well as neonatal and paediatric intensive care will be protected.

But other services will be reduced to Christmas staffing levels during the walk-out, the RCN said.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen has offered to "press pause" on the strikes if Barclay agreed to talks.

But Barclay insisted that while he was open to talks on wider issues, the pay settlement was recommended by an independent review body and would not be reopened.

The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a pay rise of at least £1,400 ($1,740) on top of a three percent pay rise last year, he said.

"Further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are tackling record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic," he added.