M&S providing pyjamas for NHS workers to wear as scrubs and clothing packages for NHS Nightingale patients

In addition to donations of clothing, M&S is also donating food to some hospitals. From next week, the retailer is starting a new, twice-weekly free food delivery programme to help feed the hardworking teams at Great Ormond Street Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, with deliveries of nearly 5,000 prepared meals, sandwiches and treats every week for the next two months.

M&S is donating to the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Urgent Appeal, which is helping to fund essential support for NHS staff and volunteers caring for patients across the UK.

Customers can help do their bit by selecting NHS Charities Together – partners of the Clap for Carers initiative – as their preferred Sparks charity, enabling M&S to continue donating every time customers shop in its food stores and online.

“We’re doing our bit to help the NHS by focussing on what we do best - providing great food and clothes - in the hope we can make it just a little easier for our NHS heroes to do what they do best, as well as the patients in their care,” said Steve Rowe, CEO of M&S.

It follows the introduction of special shopping hours for NHS, emergency service and health and social care workers every Tuesday and Friday during the first hour of trade and dedicated M&S Bank telephone banking hours from 6pm to 7pm every day.

M&S has also increased the size and product range of daily deliveries to its 46 hospital stores across the UK to help NHS workers access essential family products, including more meat, fish, produce and personal care items.

“We get through these challenging times by pulling together and it’s been truly humbling to read the suggestions that have been pouring in from colleagues and customers alike with ideas for how we can help those on the NHS frontline,” continued Rowe.

“At a time when everyone is facing into personal challenges and our own frontline colleagues are working round the clock - it’s heartening to see the whole nation is getting behind the fantastic NHS teams we’re relying on right now. We really are all in this together and I’m delighted we have been able to turn some of those ideas into action.”