Gordon Brown has put the brakes on public sector demands for pay rises.

The chancellor yesterday warned there will be no "blank cheque" for pay claims from NHS staff and other public sector workers.

"Just as sustained economic growth demands responsibility in setting private sector pay, so a sustained commitment to better public services demands responsibility in setting public sector pay - and discipline will be our watchword," he said on Thursday.

A major recruitment drive has been launched by the government in Germany to reduce the staff shortage in the NHS.