Video goes viral after nurse is left in tears by panic buyers
Retailers Tesco and Marks & Spencer respond with priority shopping slots for the country’s NHS staff
A TEARFUL hospital nurse issued a plea for panic buyers to stop stripping supermarket shelves as she asked: “How can I survive on apples?”
Dawn Bilbrough filmed herself crying in her car after finding supermarket shelves empty after spending two days working long hours at an intensive care ward in West Yorkshire.
In the footage, which quickly went viral, the critical care nurse told viewers that she “had a little cry” in the supermarket.
Shown the video, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, responded by urging shoppers to stop panic buying, adding: “I stand with Dawn. I think she’s put it better than anyone else could.
“It’s vital that people act responsibly. Responsibly to follow the advice to stop spreading the virus and responsibly in terms of what people need.”
Ms Bilbrough, 51, later told The Daily Telegraph that she was soon heading back to hospital for another 12 hour shift and pleaded with shoppers to leave food for front-line staff.
“I’m a vegetarian and I’d run out of fresh fruit and vegetables and pulses and things like that,” she said.
“There were maybe a few apples and that was it. I knew I was going back for another 12 hour shift the next day. I became really overwhelmed and started crying. I couldn’t help it.
“What can I do? How can I continue to be healthy, and to look after people if I’m expected to survive on apples?
“Someone needs to do something to make sure front-line staff can find food at supermarkets otherwise we’ll soon have real problems.”
Ms Bilbrough posted her emotional video on Thursday afternoon from her car.
“So, I’ve just come out the supermarket. There’s no fruit and veg. I had a little cry in there,” she said.
“I’m a critical-care nurse and
‘What can I do? How can I continue to be healthy and to look after people if I’m expected to survive on apples?’
I’ve just finished 48 hours of work. I just wanted to get some stuff for the next 48 hours. I just don’t know how I am supposed to stay healthy.
“And those people are just stripping the shelves of basic foods. I hope some people just stop and think a little bit before filling up their trolleys.
“But time will tell.” Becoming tearful, she said: “You just need to stop it, because it’s people like me that are going to be looking after you when you’re at your lowest. So just stop it, please!”
She later added: “We’re not a Third World country. We can have food delivered. There are, as far as I’m aware, plenty of supplies of food.
“People need to have awareness when topping up their trolley and remember that other people need to survive this virus also. We all have needs and we all just need to share the load, really.”
Tesco responded yesterday by saying NHS staff would be allowed to shop before anybody else on Sundays, while Marks & Spencer announced that frontline health workers would be given priority for the first hour of trading on Tuesdays and Fridays.
It comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed that customers who shop online with one supermarket could soon begin receiving their groceries from a rival store’s delivery service under emergency measures due to be implemented next week.
The changes will allow retailers to share staff, delivery depots and vans, while stores near to one another will be able to coordinate closure days.