Sue Stroud and Sarah Sparrow, both nurses on a dermatology ward at London's St Thomas's Hospital, handed a batch of letters to Downing Street urging Mr Blair to take staff pay concerns seriously.

The letters were all written to Nursing Standard magazine over the past two weeks.

After four years of training, both Ms Stroud, 27, and Ms Sparrow 25, are earning approximately £15,500.

They are both seeking jobs outside the NHS.

Ms Stroud, of Clapham, south west London, said: "Dog handlers get paid more than us. If things do not change then more loyal nurses will be seeking to leave the health service and going into completely different professions."

Their protest coincides with today's implementation of the final 1.8% of nurses' 1998 staged pay award - which amounts to about an extra £3.50 a week for most.

The nurses hope the letters will convince the government of the depth of unhappiness in the profession, and that action must be taken.

Exodus of staff

Nurses demonstrated in force in Whitehall in October

Leaders of organisations representing nurses, midwives and health visitors say salaries should rise substantially to stem the annual exodus of approximately 50,000 qualified staff from the NHS.

They claim pay rises of between 9%, to keep up with new graduates, and 20%, to keep pace with the police, are essential for the beleaguered workforce.

There are at least 8,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS.

Among the letters presented was one by Exeter-based nurse Fiona Turner who wrote: "Why do I carry on? Because I care, and that is why, each year, the Government abuses and takes advantage of nursing - because it knows we care.

"Well, times are changing. Nurses are so demoralised and despondent they can't care even if they want to."

Julie Bromsgrove, who has been a nurse for nine and a half years, earns less than £17,000 as a staff nurse at an orthopaedic theatre in Blackpool.

Her letter read: "Given my time over, I would not come into nursing again.

"Poor pay, low morale and little thanks. So what are you going to do about it? A decent wage would be a start.

"Do something because if you don't you won't have any nurses left."

Jean Gray, deputy editor of Nursing Standard, said: "We have had letters from people who have spent all their working lives in nursing, and from newly qualified nurses who are just starting out and are worried about the future for them in a lowly paid profession.