Hospitals set up food banks for struggling workers over ‘outrageous situation’

Six NHS trusts have reportedly set up either food banks or food voucher schemes amid fears a large number of them are struggling to feed their families

Hospitals are setting up food banks for employees and offering emergency loans to frontline workers grappling with skyrocketing costs.

Six NHS trusts have reportedly set up either food banks or food voucher schemes amid fears a large number of them are struggling to feed their families.

Corresponding The Independentmany more are considering following suit.

Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Norfolk Community Health and Care, West Hertfordshire, Dartford and Gravesham are known to have set up food banks and voucher services.

They follow Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and University Hospitals Birmingham, both of which have been running staff food banks for more than two years.

Union bosses have said increasing numbers of NHS workers are struggling as fuel prices soar and some are now struggling to feed their families.

Professor Alison Leary, Chair of Health and Workforce Modeling at London South Bank University, said the bosses of a number of trusts were extremely concerned.

She told The Independent: “I have been approached by several NHS organizations who are very concerned about the impact of the cost of living on their staff.

“Some are looking for food exchanges or food banks, others are looking for other ways to help, like with transportation costs.”

Milton Keynes University Hospital has been operating a community kitchen for two months to support staff who cannot afford food.

Corporate affairs director Kate Jarman said she would also test welfare packages for struggling workers to help them through the cost of living crisis.

Graham Revie, Chair of the Union Committee at the Royal College of Nursing, told The Independent: “This is an outrageous state of affairs and a major admission that the NHS knows how its workers struggle while the Government refuses to give them fair pay.”

He said “thousands” of nurses leave each year, with pay being one of the main reasons.

Mr Revie said Ministers must prioritize a fair pay rise for NHS workers – without it the number leaving the profession will “continue to rise”.

In a statement, a Government spokesman said: “We are incredibly grateful to all of our NHS staff and recognize the pressure that is being brought on by the rising cost of living.

“We’re taking action worth over £22 billion in 2022-23 to help households with energy bills and ensure people keep more of their money – including by cutting fuel taxes, raising the threshold from which… People start paying Social Security and tax cuts for the lowest paid workers with Universal Credit so they can keep more of what they earn.”