Rishi Sunak said the pay deal sought by the nurses’ union was “unaffordable” but acknowledged people were struggling with the rising cost of living.
The Prime Minister told ITV News on Tuesday: “We have enormous gratitude for our nurses, and indeed all the other workers in the NHS, for what they do and have done for us over the past couple of years.
“But what the unions are asking for is a 17 per cent pay rise, and I think most people watching will understand that that’s unaffordable and the way we deal with these situations... is that we have an independent body make recommendations to the Government about what a fair settlement is.”
