// Morrisons introduces dedicated shopping hour for NHS workers on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic
// The new hour will be 7am-8am, Monday-Saturday
// A staff member will be at the door of each store to let staff with an NHS badge in
Morrisons has announced that will introduce an NHS hour at the beginning of every day, apart from Sunday, so that NHS workers can stock up on the products they need during the coronavirus pandemic.
The new hour will be 7am-8am and a Morrisons staff member will be at the door of each store to let staff with an NHS badge in.
Opening hours for other customers will move from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday.
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Sundays will continue to have six hours of trading in line with Sunday trading rules.
Other grocers that have introduced dedicated shopping hours for NHS workers include Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Marks & Spencer.
It comes after many NHS staff have said that they cannot buy the products they need at the beginning or the end of their shift as supermarkets have seen unprecedented demand due to a rush of customers panic-buying.
Critical care nurse Dawn Bilbrough, from York, made a heartfelt plea for shoppers to stop stockpiling, in a video which went viral on social media on Thursday.
In the video, she is seen crying after visiting a supermarket following a 48-hour hospital shift to find there were no fruit or vegetables.
“Staff in the NHS are facing into an unprecedented challenge and we’re doing our bit to help them buy their groceries,” Morrisons chief executive David Potts said.
“We’ve seen some nurses and doctors struggling to find what they need and so we’re responding with dedicated time for them to shop.
“The core purpose of our organisation, all 96,537 of us, is to play our full part in feeding the nation, it’s more than our job.”
Morrisons is also taking on up to 500 staff from Marie Curie and CLIC Sargent charity shops to help the elderly and vulnerable in its supermarkets.
Earlier this week, Morrisons announced it was creating 3500 jobs to expand its home delivery service to cope with the soaring demand, while implementing immediate payments for its smaller suppliers.
The Big 4 grocer has also placed purchasing restrictions across 1250 lines, and has created a new colleague hardship fund to support colleagues in financial difficulty as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Morrisons also said staff who are sick with the coronavirus will receive sick pay whether or not they would normally be eligible.
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28 Comments. Leave new
I work as a hca looking after vulnerable adults as well as my 2 children I don’t work for the NHS and don’t time to shop I think carers are forgotten about
Do you have to queue up on the designated slot for NHS workers at Morrison Sidcup?
Does the 7am opening times stretch yo carers too. I work 15 hr days
Only NHS Staff. Nurses etc.from Nursing Homes are turned away!! Remember this when all this is a memory. A Nurse is a Nurse, with the same risks and should NOT be treated this way!
If have a compromised immune system and MS. Am I allowed to shop if I show my card. Can’t get out otherwise.
What times have the elderly and disabled customer got for shopping
I have a compromised immune system and MS. Am I allowed to shop if I show my card. Can’t get out otherwise.
The last time you should be going is at the same time as front line staff, please reach out to your community for support with shopping. I know as NHS staff myself I would never forgive myself if I was carrying the virus and passed to anyone, but especially not the immunocompromised or vulnerable.
In light of the other supermarkets dedicating shopping times for the elderly when are Morrisons going to do this
Are the stores being deep cleaned between the Hospital staff(All In Scrubs) doing their shopping and the vulnerable people starting their shopping at 0800 ???
Hospital staff shouldn’t be travelling to and from work in their uniform let alone shopping. All hospital staff now need to get changed before and after shifts and have to travel in their own clothes. I think these hours are designed for staff on their days off as most day shifts start at 7/7:30 and night shifts finish at 7:30/7:45 so wouldn’t be able to go shopping in the NHS hour before or after their shift.
How about vulnerable people what’s the timesAnd prison officers my husband is stuck in work from 7 am till 9 pm
what about the nhs staff that are working the shift from 6 am they cant just change the shifts
I do not think it does. I think it’s just NHS staff. The reason being is that NHS staff are “high risk” of getting the virus and they could pass it on to a carer within the store. This carer could then pass it onto a vulnerable person. But I have not had that from an official source so it is worth phoning the store.
NHS are doing a great job but other healthcare provider are finding it hard to get a shop as well.
Due to long hours . Please bear in mind the nurses and carers also look after elderly and can’t got food for them and their families and are putting them self at risk they are also on the key worker . list
Totally agree here NHS are doing an excellent job, i work in a mental health hospital with mainly patients sectioned under the mental health act and due to staff sickness we are back to back shifts. We have our badges and a letter issued by the company stating we are key workers , however Local Morrison refused to let one of our workers shop before work this morning. Because he did not have a NHS badge. We are on a partial lock down but if our remaining staff cant feed their families they will have to stay home to make the shopping times. Who is going to look after our patients and ultimately at risk people in our society.
Private hospitals in London are now NHS from tomorrow. Our badges don’t say NHS though. Will those of us who work in these hospitals be allowed in at these opening hours?
No..
What about key worker security. G4s still have to work day shifts in the job centres. Are we aloud to shop at these times.
I work for the NHS front line reception. We don’t have NHS BADGES but have NHS cards. Does this apply also?
Likewise working in pharmacy – we are very much on the front line and regarded as key workers. Have NHS photo id cards for accessing on line NHS portals – assume these will be included?
Tom
Cumbria Care support workers got turned away by Morrisons because we are not NHS.
I work in a crematorium (key worker as dealing with the deceased) and start work at 8.15 – when do i get to shop??
The shelves are empty when i finish work and now cant even go into morrisons before work now – as i did last week – as nhs staff only between 7am and 8am
I fully appreciate all the nhs are doing for us but please they are NOT THE ONLY KEY WORKERS STRUGGLING TO GO TO THE SUPERMARKET WHEN THERE IS STOCK ON THE SHELVES
Just a thought for supermarkets to consider
Why my wife and myself cannot shop togeather in Morrisons in Shrewsbury I was turned away only one from each house hold my we are both pensioners but my wife is a key worker and can only shop after work
What a load of selfish moaners
This is fantastic news for nhs staffs, but,whilst I appreciate this jesture, I went to morrison one day last week between 7-8 mainly for toilet paper, long life milk and flour and the shelves were empty, so it would be most appreciated if at all possible these items can be made available please.
This is good news for frontline NHS workers but what about the over 70s who are in a high risk category. Shouldn’t they be offered special hours to mitigate the risk of catching this virus from the normal hoard of shoppers.
I work for a water company, and have key worker authority – last week due to other staff sickness I worked over 90 hours, unblocking drains, shovelling sh*t, but apparently my colleagues and I will be allowed to starve. I’ve just got in from a 15 hour shift, tried to get something for tea, and thee’s nothing there. So it’ll be cup-a-soup AGAIN. Key workers should mean that – I applaud the NHS, but they’re not the only ones up against it.