The John Lewis Partnership is installing a wellbeing area it has designed for medical staff and volunteers at NHS Nightingale Hospital, London. The retailer is also joining forces with the British Medical Association (BMA) to deliver 60,000 essentials to key NHS staff.
The wellbeing space will be the only part of the main hospital where frontline staff have a place of sanctuary. Staff will be able to use the area when they need time out from their extremely challenging environment.
Commenting is Matthew Trainer, deputy CEO of NHS Nightingale London. “We are so grateful to the John Lewis Partnership for their continued commitment to taking care of NHS staff. The care packages designed in collaboration with the BMA will be a welcome gesture of support for busy staff on the go, and the wellbeing space will allow our staff much-needed time out during their shifts.
Composer Alejandro Bonatto has created a playlist to help staff unwind in one of the three different wellbeing zones.
“This is a fantastic example of people and companies coming together to help NHS staff as they respond to the greatest public health challenge in over a century. But, every member of the public can play their part too, in particular by staying home to slow the spread of the virus and save lives.”
Also commenting is Sharon White, Partner and chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. “The John Lewis Partnership salutes the courage and humanity of every NHS worker fighting this awful virus.
“We are exceptionally lucky to have an amazing health service open to all. As a small token, we’re donating food and essential items to the NHS. We’re making it easier for NHS workers to shop in Waitrose and we’re helping staff at the new Nightingale Hospital in London. We will do more over the coming weeks.”
Nationwide care packages will be delivered to frontline NHS workers with BMA.
The John Lewis Partnership has partnered with the BMA to distribute care packages for frontline NHS workers at the busiest hospitals across the UK. The retailer will now start making 400 deliveries of essential items to help NHS staff during long shifts. Nightingale London and the main London NHS Trusts will be the first to receive the care packages.
Based on advice from the BMA, these supplies will be a combination of 60,000 non-clinical essentials including toiletries, antibacterial hand gel and lip balm. Plus, snack food, tea, coffee and socks. The boxes also contain a wellbeing leaflet with information about a 24/7 counselling service and guidance from the BMA.
Over the next few weeks, these boxes will be delivered to acute hospital trusts in the UK to safely distribute to high-intensity clinical areas such as Critical Care and Intensive Care units. This will ensure healthcare staff working long hours and under terrible strain receive the products they need.
The John Lewis Partnership is also accommodating on-call NHS key workers on its Leckford Estate in Hampshire.
The Partnership Hotels team is hosting key medical staff who need to be near the hospital in lodges usually used as holiday homes for Partners. Twelve lodges are available to the Hampshire NHS Trust, which can accommodate 29 people, each with their own bedroom. The NHS staff are primarily key workers at The Royal County Hampshire Hospital in Winchester.
Waitrose and John Lewis are also giving away 50,000 boxes of Easter confectionery to NHS workers.
