Tesco hour for nhs workers not going as planned!

[astraea]

This is my local Tesco this morning (I did not take the photo). They opened for the first hour for nhs staff and vulnerable. This is what it resulted in!

I am a key worker too, I am struggling to get
Essentials to feed my family. I just can't believe what is happening!

Sounds awful. I am NHS but we didn’t fancy the potential queues this morning. DH went to a small local COOP and found a dozen eggs! No bread but they also had various fruit , unlike Tesco the other day when I last went.
We are just getting a few bits every few days.

I honestly think these hours, while well-intentioned, are causing more problems than they solve. My local tesco had one today and it was apparently total chaos all morning. Meanwhile, Sainsbury's was calm and full of everything except pasta and loo roll... It fuels the panic further, and all we need (for food) is the panic to stop.

I'm a Tesco staff member. I went to my local store this morning and there was a really long queue, but they were checking everyone's work ID as they went in and explaining to other customers they'd have to wait, which they accepted. It was busy, but I was able to get everything I wanted and there were no issues with behaviour or any staff getting abuse. I thought it was really well handled.

Our local Tesco has three days with "old peoples hour" but there is no way to enforce that! They did have an excellent system whereby the queue went 3/4 round the shop and was marshalled into the next available checkout. Very well organised [only one fight all day it seemed] and about as quick as usual

DS and his nurse partner went and couldn't even get in the car park!

I'm pretty sure that a huge amount of the people there wouldn't have been NHS staff. Over time this might work if it's strictly enforced and people get used to knowing when it's not worth them going unless they are in the priority group.

There were similar pictures on Facebook of my local Tesco. It’s quite scary to look at.

I am an NHS worker and went this morning thinking it would be a good opportunity to get a week's worth of shopping in, as by time I go to the shops after work there is nothing left.

I was gobsmacked to find the longest queue I have ever seen at 8:40am, though it was orderly. Once in store it was manic, impossible to social distance the aisles were rammed, I gave up in the end, but then had to queue for the checkouts to open at 10 anyway, luckily I was only about 5th in the queue but as we waited it was going right down the aisles behind me.

Complete disaster and I wont be doing it again next Sunday, other stores have announced an hr in the mornings during the week, but I cannot get there at that time, so not sure what I am going to do from here on in. Think I will just have to try the smaller Tesco's and co-op during the week after work and hope they have the basics at least

Just to say though, the staff were great, and everyone was very considerate to each other in the busy aisles.

I think it's very possible that most of those people do work for the NHS. It's the biggest employer. In some areas where there isn't much private sector employment almost everyone has a household member who works for the NHS. One hour a couple of times a week was never going to be sufficient.

I’m in London, and whilst I’ve not gone to any megastores, the local shops have been absolutely fine. A few shortages but not much. And lots of independents. Am also using Ocado which has delivered everything ordered

Drives me mad even under normal circumstances when food shopping is considered to be a family outing, but in the current situation why is it considered not safe for children to be in school, but ok for them to be in crowded supermarkets? If two parents turn up with children in tow, one should be made to wait in the car with the children while the other parent does the shopping.

My local Iceland has announced various special opening times for NHS workers, elderly & disabled. Only shopping for non NHS, elderly or disabled is 10.30am to 4pm.... which is while I’m at school providing childcare for key workers.... I know that the above groups need help but when do I and my colleagues buy our food? I usually buy milk for the staff room on my way to work... we’ve not been able to have milk in our drinks for a week!

Am also using Ocado which has delivered everything ordered

I pay £10.99 a month to Ocado but can’t get a slot!

'They did have an excellent system whereby the queue went 3/4 round the shop and was marshalled into the next available checkout. '

They have to do this as standard where I work at lunch due to massive influx. Not a massive store but handing crowds is not new to any of these companies in certain locations.

NHS is third biggest employer in the WORLD a few years back.

I was v surprised but there you go.

Number 4 in 2010 with 1.4 million employees.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_employers

Interesting seeing that Beetroot.

I went in earlier; there was a queue outside & ID was checked as we went in - the vast majority were shopping alone.

I managed to get a few essential things I've been unable to get for the last 2 weeks - toilet paper, paracetamol, calpol

• despite going to the main supermarkets after work - so I won't need to go now for a week.

There wasn't a lot of social distancing going on, but let's face it, when you are front line there is more risk at work.

Tesco in Scotland is doing this, sorry can't find the post that said they aren't. Our local Tesco in northern Scotland was very calm this morning, not too busy and no family groups, just some couples. Sorry to all of those doing battle with crazy crowds, it is just adding stress to an already stressful time.

I'm in Scotland too @emummy - and the flowers were a lovely touch. I'm a single parent & really appreciated them.

Yes they were nice weren’t they!

Marsha yes it is eye opening isn't it. I was amazed at that when I found out few years back. So if there's 60m of us, then 2.4 out of every 100 people is employed by NHS. And that's before you take out all the people who won't be in the queues, children, v elderly in homes etc etc

34m people of working age in UK says Google so that's 4% of population work for NHS.

So those querying if so many people can be NHS, answer is, it's way more than you probably imagine.

My friend works for the NHS but she only works one day a week, in admin. Her job is nothing at all to do with hospitals, she's not a frontline medic or customer facing.

Meanwhile, my other friend works in power generation. They're working 14 hour shifts, keeping the country supplied with electricity. No special hour put aside for them to buy food. They are also meant to be shopping for their elderly parents who are currently self-isolating.

I did think initially that the special shopping hours were a good idea. Having seen photographs today of nurses and ambulance staff wearing their uniform, mingling with hundreds in Tesco, I've now changed my mind. Can the NHS not have a rule that they keep uniforms for work time only?

Someone I know works for the NHS. Not front line 3 days a week. Working from home. But said they would go to Sainsburies to take advantage of the NHS times. And then get a free coffee from Costa as well.

I know plenty of people who are also working bloody hard in this crisis to keep the country going.

We need a better system.

The UK population has purchased £1bn worth of food in a week.

This works out to just under £17 per person (based on UK population of approx 60 million) - which isn't too surprising when you factor in self-isolation, people at home that would normally be in work/school and no eating out.

It really doesn't take much to tip the system!