Nurse strikes are over after the union failed to reach the threshold needed for further industrial action to go ahead.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had balloted its members for a second time to hold walkouts until Christmas, after they rejected the Government’s pay offer.

The union had attempted a high-risk strategy of holding an “aggregate ballot”, which meant it needed half of all nurses to vote and the majority to agree to strike action. 

If successful, the ballot could have meant strikes in every hospital in England.

While a majority of nurses taking part in the ballot backed strike action, just 43 per cent of members took part - short of the 50 per cent participation which is required for action. 

The previous vote had been held on a trust by trust basis, meaning votes in areas with high levels of union support were enough to secure walkouts.

The situation is particularly embarrassing for Pat Cullen, the RCN’s general secretary, who initially backed the five per cent pay offer from the Government, before calling for strikes until Christmas after her members rejected it. 

The deal for more than one million NHS staff has already been introduced, with nurses this month receiving a pay increase backdated to April, as well as a one-off bonus of at least £1250 for last year. 

So far NHS strikes have resulted in more than 650,000 appointments and operations being cancelled. 

Junior doctors are due to take part in the longest strike in NHS history next month, with a five-day walkout from Thursday July 13, to Tuesday July 18. 

The walkouts could come days before consultants strike on June 20 and 21 if their ballot, which closes at the end of this month, is successful.