8 Apr 2020
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has confirmed stores are still waiting for the SNP government to share its list of Scotland’s most vulnerable patients.
Big grocery retailers are standing ready to prioritise delivery slots for those who need them most as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies.
However, although the UK Government has made this list available for English stores, the SNP government has so far failed to do so.
The letter, sent this morning to customers from Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe, states: “At the end of last week we received the government database, which includes details of all the people in England who have registered with the government to say that they are vulnerable and need help getting a food shop. We are waiting for the databases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will contact vulnerable customers in those areas as soon as we are able.”
The Scottish Government has already written to around 120,000 “shielded individuals” setting out measures they should take to protect their own health.
The Scottish Conservatives have said that same list should be given to supermarkets to allow them to target the most vulnerable for delivery slots which are increasingly hard to come by.
Scottish Conservative shadow economy secretary Maurice Golden said:
“This is confirmation from one of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains that the SNP government still hasn’t acted.
“The list exists, and indeed these people have already been contacted by the Scottish Government about the coronavirus.
“We now need to get those details to supermarkets so they can start prioritising delivery slots.
“As it stands, it’s far too difficult for vulnerable people to access this service.
“That’s either forcing them to go without, or making them risk their own health by venturing out to the stores themselves.
“The UK Government has managed to do this for people in England – it’s time the SNP government stepped up and did the same for Scotland.”
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