Healthcare staff in the North East are being offered free porridge and evening meals after a nurse broke down in tears at the till because she could not afford to pay for her breakfast, a striker has said.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed it is providing free porridge to workers at its Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital sites in December and January.

It comes as Downing Street has said there are “no plans” to look again at the pay deal for nurses who are staging their biggest ever strike in the history of the NHS.

Number 10 and Health Secretary Steve Barclay stood firm on the issue of pay when questioned by reporters, despite some Tories calling for a rethink.

Standing on the picket line outside the Freeman as snow fell, research nurse Catherine Marsh told the PA news agency: “We have a situation where the trust is giving us free porridge and meals in the evening.

Read more: North East nurses on strike in dispute over pay and conditions

“This was caused by a member of staff going to the restaurant, she got her porridge, she got to the till and was unable to pay.

“She was there in floods of tears.

“The restaurant staff phoned the chaplaincy and the chaplaincy have arranged free meals.”

Read more: Mary Foy and Peter Gibson react to RMT strikes in the North East

Thousands of nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are taking part in industrial action – involving around a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England, all trusts in Northern Ireland and all but one health board in Wales.

Health minister Maria Caulfield said around 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries will be lost in England due to the strike. Thousands more will be affected in Northern Ireland and Wales.

Downing Street rejected calls from the former head of the independent pay review body for a possible rethink of the pay award in light of soaring inflation.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Certainly no plans to tell the independent body what to do.”

Beside Ms Marsh on the picket line, as drivers tooted their horns in support of the strike, RCN regional officer Gail Hodgson said: “It’s shocking when you hear stories like that.

“It’s absolutely appalling in this day and age that somebody who is caring for patients and their safety can’t afford to feed themselves a bowl of porridge.”

Read next:

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to The Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here.

Staff can help themselves to food from fridges at sites across the Newcastle trust.

The catering team stock them in the late afternoon with a choice of sandwiches, salads and chilled meals.

These offers are part of a wider range of health, financial and wellbeing support packages and not in response to the strike, the trust said.