NURSING strikes are set to have "minimal impact" on hospitals across south Essex. 

Nurses are set to step up their strikes, due to the increasingly bitter dispute over pay and staffing.

The Royal College of Nursing has announced walk-outs across England, which are set to start on May 1. 

But Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust said no nurses at its hospitals would be on strike. 

Read more:

A spokesman from Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust said: "None of our nurses will partake in Mondays' stikes and we urge our patients to attend all of their set appointments.

"Due to our nurses not participating in RCN strikes, we will have minimal impact and our hospitals and we will work as usual."

The Royal College of Nursing still warns residents of Essex to stay safe during the strikes actions. 

A spokesman from the Royal College of Nursing said: "We have announced that our hospitals will be affected by nursing strikes from 8pm on Sunday, April 30, until midnight on Bank Holiday Monday next week.

"Both our ESNEFT teams and the wider NHS are committed to keeping disruption to services to a minimum.

"Our key focus is on providing safe care for patients who need urgent and emergency services, and those receiving inpatient care in our hospitals.

"We will be reducing the number of appointments we have planned on the strike days to make sure we have safe levels of staff across all services. 

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

"You’ll be contacted if your appointment needs to be changed, so please turn up as usual if you are not contacted. We know how disappointing it will be for patients who have their appointments rescheduled. We are very sorry and will rearrange the appointments as quickly as possible.

"If you need medical help or advice, go to NHS 111 online unless it is a life-threatening emergency when you should still call 999."