Dear Chief Execs,

I am a consultant surgeon and a key NHS worker. I also have responsibility for my elderly 90 year old parents. Like many others, I leave early for work and come back late and for the last week I have been unable to do my basic shopping as the shelves have been stripped bare. 

We call upon you to strictly enforce, ‘socially responsible buying; Stop hoarding and maintain distance.' It is quite clear from the images on social media and scenes of bare shelves that members of the general public are hoarding food and some are even profiteering.

Vulnerable people, NHS and other key state workers and mothers are not getting their daily essentials.

Whilst some supermarkets have dedicated time slots for the elderly and those with disabilities, a lot more can be done. For one ALL supermarkets can limit the number of items per trolley, not just a select few. You have the data from your club card members to know what the average item per shopper or household was before the Covid-19 crisis. You can limit the number of items per household. 

In line with the governments social distancing policy you can also act responsibly and enforce social distancing in the supermarkets. Supermarkets are crowded with the general public breathing over each other. Supermarkets are also responsible for speeding the Covid-19 pandemic. Measures such as calculating the average footfall area and clearly demarcating one meter areas by yellow tape. The general public should be forced to respect the boundaries. If your footfall area is a 1000 meters then no more than 100 people should be allowed at any one time. Moreover, you have the technology to create time slots so that people could potentially prebook shopping times. The above measures will help with your supply chains and restocking. By booking time slots you can prevent long queues from forming outside of your shops which also increases the likelihood of viral spread.

You have to be part of the chain of social responsibility. You too have a crucial role to play.