Thousands of NHS workers, including midwives and ambulances have gone on strike this morning in a row with the government over pay.
Staff from six trade unions, including the Royal College of Midwives, Unison, and GMB, are staging a four hour walkout, due to last until 11am.
The industrial action is expect to disrupt some services, although emergency response is not expected to be affected.
RCM's chief executive Cathy Warwick said: 'At a time when MPs are set for a 10 per cent pay hike, we're told that midwives don't deserve even a below-inflation one per cent rise.
And politicians wonder why the public does not afford them more respect. It feels to a great many people, including midwives, that there is one rule for them and another rule for everybody else.
'The independent panel of experts who advise the government on NHS pay recommended a 1% pay rise for midwives, nurses, paramedics and other NHS staff.
"Unfortunately, health secretary Jeremy Hunt rejected that recommendation, and he and the employers decided that midwives and others won't get a pay rise this year.
'I ask them to think of the pressure midwives have been under for years, made worse by a shortage of staff that never goes away. I ask them to think of the responsibility midwives have every single day, caring for both mother and baby.
"And I ask them to think how it feels to those same midwives when, despite all that, they are told they aren't worth a one per cent pay rise."
Steve Wheaton, from the East of England Ambulance Service, said: "A considerable amount of contingency planning has taken place in preparation for this strike.
"We have been working closely with our union colleagues to ensure that those who need an emergency ambulance response get one."
"However, there is likely to be some disruption to the 999 service and as always we are urging the public to think about using alternative services especially during the hours of strike action.
"If you need medical help but it is not an emergency, consider your options, such as calling 111, contacting your GP or visiting your local pharmacist. This will help keep ambulances available to those in the greatest need."
