To think Sainsbury’s haven’t really thought this through?

[ArgumentativeAardvaark]

Email from Sainsbury’s this morning about their efforts to keep stock on shelves and help the community during this crisis. All great. They have a dedicated hour three times a week for the elderly and vulnerable.

However they have now decided to extend access to that hour to frontline NHS staff. Staff who are going to be directly exposed to the virus every day, and who the media have told us will almost certainly get sick. Deliberately mixing with the elderly and vulnerable in an environment where people have to touch things.

Am I missing something here? Would they not be better to do a separate hour for NHS workers with a good clean afterwards?

And yes, I know that both if those groups are also free to shop at any other time they like, but it just seems strange to deliberately bring them together.

Email screenshot here

That's a dumb idea

It does seem a bit silly to be honest

Oh god no, you’re right.

Can you email and point it out?

There’s a worrying amount of ideas people are putting out with the best of intentions that are putting others at risk one way or another.

What would they clean? The scan as you shop thingys and the trolley/basket handles?

That would possibly be the minimum touched.

I’ve thought the same. To be honest I thought the hours for the elderly/ vulnerable were a bit silly for similar reasons - why gather all the vulnerable together- especially as there were massive queues / people hugging friends etc at the one here last week

I’d hope the supermarkets have taken advice?

This what happens when social media leads policy. 🙄

Completely stupid idea and plenty of people have told them so on Twitter. They really need to start policing the whole thing and ONLY letting the elderly in and nobody else, then have other time slots for other vulnerable people and others for key workers etc and check ID. Relying on the public to observe their rules doesn't work because the bulk buyers are clearly total twats in the first place and don't listen.

plenty of people have told them so on Twitter.

That’s great, I guess they will either explain what advice they have had or change the policy. I’ll have a look (not a seasoned Twitterer and find it hard to navigate so didn’t go there first)

I suppose one good thing is that many NHS staff will themselves appreciate the risk and so decline Sainsbo’s kind offer anyway.

The clips online of these elderly only hours have shown they have been hugely popular and there are scores of vulnerable people who have attended. It’s an awful idea in terms of keeping those people safe from contracting the virus.

Other shops are doing this but in separate days.

I read that and thought it was totally nuts. Also their new hours will totally exclude our local nhs daytime staff on their working days as they work 12 hour shifts.

Always, separate days is a much better idea.

Daft policy not to mention Key workers are going to be on shifts so getting to shops isn't going to be easy.
I was thinking the best way for key workers would be a click and collect but make sure that their order is put aside early on in the day.
So staff collecting while the vulnerable are shopping.

There is fuck all left in my local Sainsburys so I won't be going back for a while - I will need to try elsewhere.

I think there should be teams set up to support frontline NHS staff so they don't have to go shopping at all. Perhaps something similar to a foodbank? I think something like this happened after 9/11 to support the rescue workers, though that was on a smaller scale of course.

You're right OP. Needs to be separate days/times.

My aunt (75) keeps nipping into different supermarkets, having a chat, browsing.

When we spoke I noticed she has a terrible cough.

We are SI but as she has enough i will try to persuade her to wait now and once we are out I can drop bags off.

My mother can now use her bus pass pre 930, fortunately she isn't getting on it.

there may be additional issues with this for the elderly/disabled using public transport

The sentiment is fine but that time is pretty inaccessible for many older people. The fit and well 70 yr olds with transport may be fine but non driverse and more at risk elderly will struggle to use it. My rural dwelling DM in her 80s is pretty fit and well for her age but couldn't make it to the nearest supermarket for that time.

I'd like to see some mechanism for prioritisation of delivery slots which could be ordered by family or carers, especially in areas where bad transport has become no transport.

I saw that, also it’s Mon, Wed, Fri 8-9am I think so anyone doing a 12 hour shift will be working anyway! But I guess there’s not any time of the week where frontline staff won’t be working.

Age-issued bus passes not valid before 9.30.

@OP I had the same conversation only an hour ago.

I think supermarkets need to do more click and collect services and ramp up home deliveries, maybe prioritising the at risk groups and NHS staff.

Difficult one to 'police' though.

Of course rationing sooner rathe than later would certainly help NHS staff to ensure they get their fair share of what's available on the shelves.

I agree they should either have separate days or better still they should be able to have click and collect or home delivery but then how does one police that?

There is nothing left in any of the Sainsbury’s I’ve been into anyway and i go at store opening times. For some odd reason Sainsbury’s seem to have permanently empty shelves where other don’t. My local Morrison’s seem to restock with a bit of everything as does Tesco. Iceland seem good with restocking loo roll, they had a mountain of it yesterday even after 10am they still had but Sainsbury’s is the one that only ever has a packed full alcohol and fizzy drink section and nothing else.

Why can’t the nhs staff have their food orders delivered to the hospitals?

It would be easier for the supermarkets as they’d only have to go to one place. They could deliver to coincide with shift changes so the staff can pick it up then go home and rest!

I am NHS staff and thought the same thing when I just read that. Also, 8-9am means that you can't go if you are working a day shift or a night shift (my night shift finishes at 8am but no one left on time even before this). Appparently, my NHS Trust is in talks with local companies about the provision of food but I don't know any more details than that, whether it means food that we can eat at work or food in case we can't get any in the shops.