NHS SHOPPING SHAMBLES
How hundreds gatecrashed supermarket hour reserved for health staff
Supermarket panic buying continued yesterday with selfish shoppers even gatecrashing an hour reserved for NHS staff.
Despite an appeal from Government ministers to ‘shop normally’, there were familiar scenes across the country of shoppers queuing at supermarkets and stripping shelves bare.
Yesterday, many of the crowds packed outside supermarkets at opening time were of NHS workers desperate to buy supplies during the first hour, which has been reserved for them.
they ignored social distancing advice by standing close together in a bid to get food before stocks ran out.
Shoppers are now paying the price of panic buying as it is sending food prices soaring and forcing many supermarkets to scrap their discount deals and price promotions.
Vegetables from Spain, including lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, have reportedly increased significantly in price over the last week due to supply problems. One import firm said wholesale lettuce prices jumped from around £4.50 a box last week to £7 a box this week.
But, regardless of price, just getting hold of fresh food has become a very real problem for many.
at a tesco store in the village of milton, near Cambridge, only NHS workers were allowed inside from 9am to 10am and shoppers were asked to produce ID for the first 30 minutes.
But after 9.30am, no checks were carried out and hundreds of other customers started coming into the store and piling their trolleys high with goods.
Shoppers were queuing down the aisles and the supermarket eventually had to close its front doors.
‘the system worked well at first but once the store stopped asking for ID it became like bedlam,’ said one nurse, who did not want to be named.
‘We only had priority for half an hour before the shop was overrun and customers were grabbing everything they could off the shelves. Some of us have just come off night shifts and this is the only time we have got to buy our food. It’s so disappointing how selfish some shoppers are.’
In manchester, around 500 NHS staff were queuing outside a tesco store when it opened yesterday.
One woman shared a picture on social media of a huge queue outside the supermarket, which was her local one, writing: ‘my husband is a nurse.
‘We have not stockpiled and he went to the NHS hour here. 500 plus people queuing with
NHS ID. How is this safer?’ another commented: ‘Can’t get into the store so came home. the queue is ridiculous, went early with NHS ID.
‘this isn’t the fault of tesco or the staff, they are doing their very best, this is our fault for not listening to advice.’
there were similar scenes at a tesco in Hull. paramedic Ian ryan said: ‘all we want is bread and milk and some canned products but we just can’t get them. If you like lentil soup, you’re all right, but there’s nothing else to choose from.’
Gemma, a nurse, said: ‘I’m completely shocked looking at the queues and seeing all these NHS workers stood close together – I thought they would know better about the social distancing.’ meanwhile, the sustained bulk buying is prompting supermarkets to cut their discount deals.
Ocado wrote to several suppliers to say it is removing all promotions for april, according to trade magazine the Grocer. In an email to its suppliers, the online supermarket said: ‘this is not to do with your supply but more around us managcurrent ing the throughput of the significantly increased demand we are currently experiencing.’
Ocado was running 3,200 fewer food promotions, according to data compiled by retail analyst associa.
and tesco reportedly axed 2,000 deals and is removing ‘all shelf promotions’. adam Leyland, editor of the Grocer, said: ‘the panic buying is not getting any better. In fact, it is getting worse.’ He said even previously unwanted stock has gone.
there were similar scenes at NHS hours across the midlands, where queues of health workers were seen not keeping a safe distance from each other.
Crowds formed outside the tesco in Hednesford, Staffordshire, where shoppers were seen ‘hugging’ by one health worker who left without purchasing anything because of the huge queues.
and in Dudley in the West midlands shoppers could be seen crowding a tesco.
‘Panic buying not getting better’