The Government is losing support of public-sector workers as one of the UK's largest trade unions, Unison, has announced its "patience is running out".

Unison is campaigning against privatisation of the NHS and, speaking to 450,000 health workers at the union's health conference in Harrogate, general secretary Dave Prentice expressed fear money to fund bank bailouts would be found through cuts in public spending.

He said: "Our patience and our time is running out - we are looking to Government for serious solutions. Rather than a golden carrot for the rich and a stick for the poor we cannot allow our public services to pay the price of bailing out the banks - our members will not stand for it."