FOURTEEN unions representing 1.3 million NHS workers have joined forces to press for a pay increase before Christmas.

The unions, including Unison, Unite, GMB and the RCN, have written to Boris Johnson warning him that staff are “stressed, burnt out and fearful” as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic places hospitals under even more pressure.

They tell the Prime Minister: “Once more, NHS staff will be relied upon to protect and care for us all. But health workers are exhausted, with many still recovering from the first virus peak.”