UK PM Sunak says he is open to discussing pay rises for nurses

NHS nurses hold signs during a strike, amid a dispute with the government over pay, outside University College Hospital in London, Britain December 20, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska

LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday he was willing to discuss pay rises for nurses in a bid to end strikes that have deepened a crisis within the health service the day before the government meets with trade union leaders.

Britain's National Health Service, long treasured and funded by taxpayers, delivers free care to all, but is under strain following years of relative underinvestment and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.