NHS workers are flogging their belongings, regularly visiting foodbanks and taking out payday loans because they find it difficult to make ends meet, new information finds.
Unison said its study showed how years of pay freezes had a toll on NHS staff, a lot of whom were now seeing "major changes" for their quality lifestyle.
The union's annual survey, covering 21,000 workers, says one in 10 had pawned possessions, and a similar number had taken out a payday loan.
Almost one out of seven had re-mortgaged their home or even moved to a less expensive property and nearly as many had used a debt advice service.
Unison said almost 1 in 5 had taken on an extra job, while four out of five had considered resigning.
The union estimated that lb4.3 billion had been cut from NHS salaries over the past six years because of government pay policies in the public sector, warning that some grades could soon fall below minimum wage levels.
Unison's head of health, Christina McAnea, said: "These figures paint a shocking picture from the effects of pay restraint on hard-working NHS staff.
"They're needing to sell or pawn their belongings, move house or ask relatives for financial aid while doing critical and life-saving jobs in our health service.
"The NHS already has significant staff shortages in key services, but our survey shows more than half of NHS personnel are seriously considering leaving their jobs because of dwindling pay and increased workloads – this is a message the Government cannot ignore.
"NHS staff are actually 14% worse off compared to what they were this year, NHS money is tighter than ever before, pressure and demand within the system keeps growing, inflation is expected to increase then one needs to give.
"The Government must take action now, starting with a definite technique for improving pay prior to the situation deteriorates even further and we are faced with an exodus of hard-working, caring staff."
Health unions have made a submission to the NHS Pay Review Body for any pay rise which reflects the increase in living costs.
The news comes as it emerges one out of for patients in hospital don't need to be there.