HARD-working NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline will be sent one million free meals over the next three months thanks to a new initiative.
Ron Dennis, the former McLaren Formula One boss, has donated more than £1million to ensure medics are well fed as they work long hours battling the pandemic.
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The new project, SalutetheNHS, will allow staff to focus on saving lives rather than worry about where their next meal will come from.
Tesco is donating all the food and ingredients for the meals, which are then prepared by Absolute Taste.
The first food packs containing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will be delivered tomorrow with the help of parcel delivery service Yodel.
Meals will be made available for free to ICU teams, anaesthetic teams and A&E staff who are unable to leave their clinical areas during their 12-hour shifts.
The meals will also be sent to key NHS workers who are infected with the coronavirus and self-isolating at home.
Example meals include Keralan veggie curry with wholegrain rice and lean beef chilli with veggie rice.
Deliveries will start at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford tomorrow and at London children’s hospital Great Ormond Street the following week, before being rolled out to Government-targeted locations.
Mr Dennis said he co-founded SalutetheNHS.org to feed thousands of hospital staff because he was “in awe” of their work to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
He added: “This is a time when all of us, individuals and businesses alike, need to stand up and be counted in the effort to combat Covid-19.
“I am delighted to be leading this initiative to help ensure that vital NHS workers have nutritious meals while they work every hour in this fight.
“It means they have one less thing to worry about.”
Dave Lewis, chief executive of Tesco, said: “Ensuring families have access to the shopping essentials they need, safely, has been our priority over the last few weeks.
“And so we’re pleased to now be able to help front line NHS workers by donating food and ingredients to provide them with one million meals through SalutetheNHS.org.
“Covid-19 has reminded the country of the critical role of essential workers, and on behalf of Tesco colleagues, we would like to sincerely thank NHS staff for all they are doing.”
SalutetheNHS.org is now calling for other supporters to donate or make a contribution by calling 0800 497 0797 or visiting the campaign’s Just Giving page.
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Uber is also giving away 300,000 free rides and Uber Eats meals to NHS staff to say thanks during the pandemic.
While rival Deliveroo is delivering 500,000 free meals to NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline.
Plus, Just Eat is offering NHS workers 25 per cent off.
