Nurses have been "neglected for far too long", a union has said as it starts to ballot its members on the first potential strike action in its 106-year history.

Health workers from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will vote on walkouts this week, asking for a higher pay award as well as action to tackle pressures caused by surging vacancies.

The government has offered a 3% wage rise. However, the RCN has called for an increase which exceeds inflation by 5%.

Teresa Budrey, the union's eastern regional director, said: “Nursing has been neglected for far too long and the workforce crisis repeatedly ignored.

"Patient safety is being put at risk and nursing staff cannot stand by when they can see patient care suffering.

“The profession has endured years of real-terms pay cuts and many staff cannot afford to nurse any longer. They are seeking employment in other sectors, adding to the staff shortages already impacting on patients.

“Strike action is a last resort for our members but we are now at a stage where nursing staff need to make a stand, which is why the RCN is encouraging them to support this action.

“Any strike action which takes place will be lawful, carefully planned and measures put in place to protect life-preserving services."

The RCN said new analysis by London Economics to coincide with the ballot launch shows pay for nurses has declined at twice the rate of the private sector in the last decade.

Nurses’ real-terms earnings have fallen by 6% compared with 3.2% for private sector employees, it was found.

Members will start voting on Thursday, with 300,000 nurses across the UK asked to take part.

The ballot will close on November 2.

Neill Moloney, deputy chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals and community services in east Suffolk and north Essex, said: “Our priority, as always, is to keep our patients safe.

"We will therefore work with our partners across the Integrated Care System to maintain safe staffing in our hospitals and services to mitigate the impact of any potential industrial action that may go ahead.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We value the hard work of NHS nurses and are working hard to support them – including by giving over 1 million NHS workers, including nurses, a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, as recommended by the independent NHS Pay Review Body.

“NHS staff also received a 3% pay rise last year, increasing nurses’ pay by £1,000 on average despite a public sector pay freeze.

“Industrial action is a matter for unions, and we urge them to carefully consider the potential impacts on patients.”

Health secretary and Suffolk Coastal MP Thérèse Coffey was contacted for comment.

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust was also contacted for comment.