Rishi Sunak today told union leaders he was willing to discuss pay ahead of further planned strikes by nurses later this month.

The Prime Minister insisted the Government had always been open to discussing 'responsible' and 'affordable' salary increases.

Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said a 'little shift' in Mr Sunak's position over the pay dispute offered a 'chink of optimism'.

But both sides still appeared to be at loggerheads over whether nurses' salaries should be discussed in relation to this year's pay award, or next year's.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay is due to meet with union leaders tomorrow for talks about the 2023-24 settlement for NHS staff.

He has suggested that health workers could be in line for a bumper pay boost from April, but only if they embrace 'productivity and efficiency' reforms.

Ahead of those talks, the PM was quizzed about how he would bring an end to the dispute with nurses over their demand for double-digit rises for this year.

'The Government has always been clear that it's happy to talk about pay that is responsible, that is affordable for the country,' Mr Sunak told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.

'We are about to start a new pay settlement round for this year, we’re about to start that independent process, and before that process starts the Government is keen to sit down with the unions and talk about pay and make sure they understand where we’re coming from.'

Despite repeatedly declining to rule out reopening this year's pay deal for nurses, Mr Sunak indicated he would focus on the 2023-24 pay award.

Ministers have previously refused to reopen talks on nurses' pay for this year. 

And a Department of Health and Social Care source insisted the position on not negotiating on the current financial year's pay settlement remains 'unchanged'.

Yet, Ms Cullen saw a 'chink of optimism' in Mr Sunak's comments and a 'little shift' in the PM's stance on the Government's dispute with nurses.

She has previously urged ministers to meet nurses halfway on their demands for a 19 per cent rise for the current financial year.

The RCN is planning for fresh strikes in England on January 18 and 19 without a breakthrough.

'When I listened to that there was a chink of optimism and there was a little shift in what the PM was saying,' Ms Cullen said.

She added: 'The PM talked about coming to the table. Now that's a move for me because I have said "let's meet halfway".'

But Ms Cullen insisted that this month's strikes would not be called off without movement on the current pay deal for nurses. 

'What the Government want to talk about tomorrow is pay moving forward - and in the broadest terms - and that is not going to avert the strike action that's planned for 10 day's time,' she said.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Mr Sunak of taking nurses and ambulance workers 'for fools'.

'These talks are about next year’s pay settlements and will do nothing to resolve today’s issues,' she added.

'At every stage they’ve collapsed talks and thrown in last minute spanners.

'Ministers need to stop playing with politics with yet more sticking plasters - we need negotiation not legislation.'

The Health Secretary is due to meet tomorrow with representatives from the RCN, GMB, Unite and Unison.

In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Barclay suggested that striking health workers could be in line for a pay boost from April in exchange for support for NHS reforms.

He wrote: 'I remain ready to engage with unions on what the Government can do to support the workforce.

'I look forward to talking with the trade unions to see how we make any settlement done through the independent pay body more affordable, where there are productivity and efficiency opportunities.'

Mr Barclay said he wanted to discuss 'what is fair and affordable' before the Government submits evidence to the independent pay review body as part of a 'constructive approach' to negotiations for 2023-24. 

'With less than three months left of this financial year, we should be moving forward and having constructive conversations about what is affordable this coming year, rather than going back retrospectively to pay that applies as far back as April,' he added.

'I recognise that inflation has made life tougher for the workforce – just as it has for many millions of families up and down the country.

'It’s also part of the reason why I am so determined to talk about what we can do next year on pay, and the many other improvements we need to make the NHS a better place to work.

'Doing this work through the independent pay review bodies process is clearly the best way to do this, not least because spending each winter frozen in pay negotiations with the unions would take focus away from the other challenges the NHS faces.'

As well as dealing with the strikes chaos hitting the NHS, Mr Barclay is also this week expected to unveil a significant package to ease pressure on A&E departments this winter.

This will reportedly include the transfer of thousands of NHS patients to care homes. 

Ms Cullen has warned the PM's pledge to slash NHS waiting lists will fail unless he gives her members a pay rise.

She told the Independent website: 'He made a broad, bold statement that he was going to cut waiting lists, but he won’t unless he addresses the crisis in nursing ... and the only way you are going to do that is to address the fundamental issue of nurses’ pay.'