MEDICAL secretaries joined together at Warrington Hospital on Monday to consider future strike action.

Around 50 members of staff met to discuss the fight for their jobs to be raised to a higher grading, which in turn would mean a higher salary.

Bob Bate, Unison representative at North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said he put forward a claim in January this year that would have seen nearly 80 members of staff from Warrington Hospital, as well as around 40 from Halton Hospital, go up two grades.

He said that when the claims are finally given the thumbs up, staff usually receive a back payment of their new salary, starting from the date when the claim was first submitted - in this case January.

This would have involved a total cost of around £137,000 for the medical secretaries.

However, the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust board has only made an offer of a raise of one grade - and with no back payments.

Mr Bate said: "The medical secretaries feel as if they are not valued by the trust and have been let down."

He added that the board has been given two weeks to come back with another offer, and if there is no change staff will be balloting for industrial action.

Mike Swift, director of human resources at the trust, said they were working closely with staff representatives to resolve pay issues.

"We recognise the contribution made by medical secretaries and wish to remain competitive with other trusts across the north west," he said.

"From the information we have gathered, we consider that the offer we have made provides parity with medical secretaries in other trusts.

"Further information is now being sought to allow a more detailed comparison, and a further meeting has been arranged at which this information will be discussed."