Coronavirus: Sainsbury's which has a store on London Road, Balderton, offers all NHS staff dedicated shopping hours three days a week
A major supermarket has offered all NHS and social care staff dedicated shopping hours across three days each week.
Sainsbury's, which has a store on London Road, Balderton, has rolled out the gesture to tireless healthcare workers as they endure long hours during the coronavirus outbreak, and struggle to get essentials as panic buyers strip shelves bare.
The same slots will also be extended to the elderly and vulnerable.
It means on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the store will have a dedicated one-hour slot between 8am and 9am.
Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said: "Last Thursday, we set aside an hour for elderly and vulnerable shoppers in our supermarkets.
"Many of you have told me how much you appreciated this and that you would like this to become a regular event.
"Some of you also said we should extend this to members of our hard working NHS and Social Care workers. And we will be doing just that.
"Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all our supermarkets will dedicate 8am to 9am to serving elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers, as well as NHS and social care workers.
Mr Coupe added workers would need to show an ID pass on their visit.
He used his message to shoppers to announce all stores will now consolidate their opening times to 8am to 8pm to allow shelves to be restocked, and also urged customers to keep their distance from shop staff.
"Please do your best to stand one metre away from colleagues in our stores where you can," said Mr Coupe. "And we would prefer you to pay with card rather than cash at our tills. Please also treat our colleagues and other customers with kindness and respect.
"These are unprecedented circumstances and our colleagues are being asked to come to work every day while so many others are being asked to stay at home. We all need them to keep coming to work to feed the nation – a small thank you goes a really long way.
"I hope you will join us in looking out for each other and the communities that we serve."
You may also like...
Confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nottinghamshire reaches 41
Apprentice recruited after successful work placement
Newark and Southwell businesses urge public to continue supporting them
