Primark is donating thousands of products to London’s new NHS Nightingale Hospital to help the nation fight the life-threatening coronavirus.
Care packs containing around 74,000 items are being donated to the hospital, as numbers continue to rise in the UK.
The donation is in response to calls for essential items from the NHS and is being accompanied by similar initiatives in other countries where Primark trades such as Ireland, Italy, Spain and the US.
The packs contain underwear, leggings, T-shirts, footwear and towels and will be used by medical staff who are frequently working back-to-back shifts or away from home, as well as patients who need a change of clothes or toiletries.
A second batch of care packs have already been provided to organisations including the London Ambulance Service, hospitals in Ireland, the Spanish Red Cross and a partnership in the US with the Mayor of Boston’s Medical Intelligence Centre.
Marks & Spencer has also pledged a similar initiative as part of a huge new support package to help both frontline workers and those who are battling the Covid-19.
The retailer will donate "we are the NHS" uniform T-shirts to all doctors and nurses at the new specialist hospital, and provide patients who are ready to be discharged with a clothing bundle to take away with them.
These will be available for male and female patients, and will each contain a T-shirt, jumper, joggers, knickers or boxers and socks, and will be available in a range of sizes.
M&S is also donating over 4,000 pyjamas to NHS Derbyshire, located close to its Castle Donington distribution centre.
It said these items can be used as scrubs during the pandemic.
Steve Rowe, CEO of M&S, said: "We’re doing our bit to help the NHS by focusing 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.
"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
"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.”
Natalie Forrest, chief operating officer at NHS Nightingale London said: "These packs will ensure real dignity for our patients and make the nurses very proud to be able to provide such an amazing level of care."
