Attempts to avert a strike among hospital staff have failed, with staff set to walk out on Friday.

More than 150 porters, cleaners, switchboard and catering staff employed by Mitie at Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary are set to begin strike action on Friday over missing payments for working unsocial hours.

NHS workers receive enhanced rates – such as time-and-a-half and double time – for working at unsocial times such as weekends or through the night.

But trade union UNISON has discovered that Cumberland Infirmary staff have not received these payments for more than 10 years.

Trade unions UNISON and GMB held talks with Mitie and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) this week in a last-ditch attempt to avoid strike action.

Both unions offered to withdraw the strike action if they received a written guarantee from Mitie that staff would begin to receive unsocial hours payments within the next two months.

However, UNISON claims Mitie refused to make this commitment, and says it is "disappointing" but the strike will therefore go ahead.