A district nurse in Stonebridge has called the government's one per cent pay rise offer an "insult".

Claudia Hayles, who is facing eviction from Prospect House in the North Circular Road, has said nurses like herself are struggling

She has written a letter to former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell to explain her situation after hearing him speak about how nurses are struggling.

"One per cent is an insult to nurses and it shows the government lack of appreciation and value for healthcare professionals," she said.

According to nurses.co.uk, the average yearly wage of a non-newly qualified nurse in the UK is somewhere between £33,000 to £35,000.

The mum-of-two pays £1,308 rent each month, £300 of which is paid by housing benefit with bills on top.

"I'm struggling, I've never been able to save anything from my wage. I've always wanted to purchase a property but I was not in a position to do so because what I earn goes into bills.

"I'm just living from paycheck to paycheck to paycheck."

She added: "Initially when this pandemic started we had no PPE (personal protective equipment) and we were still going out there trying to deliver a high standard of care for the patient without even thinking we were risking our lives.

"It didn't matter, we were just doing what we can and for one pc - it's an insult. I was so deflated when I read about it."

She said she hasn't had a pay rise for 11 years and last year's pay rise was only for newly qualified nurses.

Claudia is being evicted along with 14 other families from their homes in Prospect House, prompting her to launch a "desperate" fundraiser to help get a mortgage.

A government spokesperson said: “Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12pc for newly qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2pc.

“Pay rises in the rest of the public sector will be paused this year due to the challenging economic environment, but we will continue to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment.

“We have asked the independent pay review bodies to report in late spring and we will consider their recommendations carefully when we receive them.”