Group gets drinks to the NHS front line to help keep heroes hydrated

A group of friends have clubbed together to help NHS staff where they most need it – and that has meant supplying them with drinks.

Staff sweltering in hot safety kit at Charing Cross Hospital have been provided with more than 1,000 bottles and cans of drink by a swiftly-formed alliance of firms, NHSMyRound.

The firm also did an emergency drinks run to Lewisham Hospital on Monday this morning as they had completely run out of everything and are really struggling with donations.

The company buys stores and delivers as many soft drinks as it can, or as many as these teams need, every week to each team.

It has also worked to ensure supplies and cash goes to the NHS areas which most need it – often hospitals which are not as high profile as others.

Campaign organiser Andrew Jones said: “We’re filling a welfare gap by supporting hospitals and teams that are being overlooked in the course of public donations and welfare – major hospitals, like Bart’s and St Thomas’, are getting a disproportionate amount of public donations, whilst others are getting little, or none.

“We’re encouraging users to spread the word on social media.

“We decided to focus on cold drinks rather than, say, PPE, because our friends within the NHS have said how unbearably hot it is in the PPE they’re wearing, however limited or extensive it is, to fight Covid-19, and that there aren’t any fast ways to cool off – a simple can/bottle of a cold drink is a powerful respite from this and really helps raise morale, especially as the temperature increases.

“And this need will only increase as more PPE gets through. It only takes a quick glance through the numerous Tweets across the country to see how many nurses and doctors are lacking cold drinks to cool off.

“Working up to 12-hour shifts under the scorching layers of protective gear every day, our heroes are exhausted, and so we’ve decided to do something about it.”

The NHS My Round campaign is a collective of friends who each have experience serving the country either in the military, police force, or helping vulnerable people.

Mr Jones added: “The drinks are healthy, we’re not-for-profit, have zero agendas and we target the most disadvantaged teams in London and surrounding areas. As there is a serious imbalance in the distribution of public donations and welfare, we’re targeting hospitals that have received very little, or been overlooked entirely, and are struggling to keep up morale to save the lives of our family and friends.”

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