Rishi Sunak resists pressure to negotiate with nurses on pay to avert NHS strikes

Rishi Sunak was refusing to bow to pressure from health leaders to negotiate pay with nurses to prevent further strikes.The prime minister insisted on Friday that the offer given to nurses is “appropriate and fair” as they warned strikes will escalate without a better pay deal.A pay rise of 19 per cent has been demanded by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), however, they have indicated they are willing to negotiate a lower offer.