After eight years of legal battles, the North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust will be forced to pay up to £300 million in compensation to its female employees for 14 years of discrimination.

A panel of experts agreed that the work of a range of employees - from nurses to catering staff - should carry the same wages as specific jobs mostly held by men.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of public service union Unison, said: "It's been a long, hard struggle, but this is a fantastic result for the members involved.

"This demonstrates what we have always argued, that there has been historic widespread pay discrimination in the health service against women."