Health leaders at the centre of an equal pay tribunal have warned against drawing early conclusions about the outcome.

Members of the Unison and the GMB unions are pursuing a number of equal pay claims against North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust.

A panel of experts appointed by an employment tribunal compared wages of nursing and ancillary staff with those of builders working in the health service.

The experts decided the work of each group of employees was of equal value.

The case is still ongoing and will not be concluded until the tribunal meets to examine all of the findings

Keith McIntosh, North Cumbria NHS Trust

Unison claims the experts' findings could mean a 49% pay increase for some nurses and cost the NHS up to �80m in back payments.

But Keith McIntosh, from North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said it was too early to draw conclusions.

He said the employment tribunal would not reach a final decision until all the evidence had been heard.

Keith McIntosh, director of human resources for the trust, said: "The trust has been co-operating with the independent experts.

"It must be stressed that whilst the first batch of reports have been submitted to the tribunal, the case is still ongoing and will not be concluded until the tribunal meets to examine all of the findings, and other relevant issues."

Unions claimed on Wednesday, the experts' findings could see the salary of a Grade D nurse rise by nearly 49%, an increase of �8,600, to �26,293.

The union first lodged equal pay claims on behalf of nurses, catering assistants, clerical officers, sewing machinists, porters and telephonists at hospitals in the Carlisle area in 1997.

The panel of experts appointed by the Newcastle-upon-Tyne tribunal found the work of every applicant was of equal value to those whose pay they were compared with, said Unison.