M&S donates thousands of T-shirts and pyjamas to NHS

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Apr 8, 2020

Marks & Spencer is donating thousands of T-shirts bearing the message “We are the NHS” to dress doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers at the new NHS Nightingale London hospital.

The company is also sourcing, packing and delivering clothing care packs containing a T-shirt, jumper, joggers, briefs or boxers, and socks for discharged Nightingale patients. 

The care packs will be made for male and female patients, with items coming in a range of sizes.

Additionally, over 4,000 pyjama sets will be donated to NHS Derbyshire, a trust located close to the M&S Castle Donington distribution centre. Marks & Spencer said the PJs can be used as scrubs by doctors and nurses at NHS Royal Derby Hospital. 

“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 CEO Steve Rowe.

The food section of the department store is also making efforts to better support the National Health Service, offering a new, twice-weekly free food delivery service for NHS workers at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and Great Ormond Street Hospital.  

Approximately 5,000 prepared meals, sandwiches and treats will be delivered to these hospitals every week for the next two months.

This is in addition to an NHS special shopping hour, introduced at M&S stores three weeks ago to make it easier for NHS, emergency service and health and social care workers to buy the products they need.

“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,” CEO Steve Rowe commented.

“We really are all in this together and I’m delighted we have been able to turn some of those ideas into action.”