Free taxis and meals available for NHS nurses over Christmas

This article was taken from: https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/charities/free-taxis-and-meals-available-for-nhs-nurses-over-christmas-11-12-2019/

By Megan Ford

NHS nurses across England, Scotland and Wales will be able to claim free taxi rides or meals over the Christmas period as part of an initiative to say ‘thank you’ to hardworking staff.

For three years, Uber has offered nurses free trips to and from work over the festive season, however for the first time staff can now opt to claim two meals from Uber Eats instead.

“This is our way of saying thank you”

Jamie Heywood

Under the initiative, Uber is offering all NHS staff the choice of either two £10 rides to get to and from work or two £10 meals with Uber Eats.

Nurses, doctors and support workers will be able to redeem their free rides or meals between 23-27 December using an official NHS email address.

The company said demand for the offer was expected to be high, as figures from NHS England showed more than 400,000 NHS staff across the UK gave up their Christmas Day last year to care for patients and their families.

Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, said he hoped the offer would help make shifts for NHS staff “a little easier”.

“We all know someone who works tirelessly over Christmas to keep the NHS running and this is our way of saying thank you,” he said.

“For the third year, we’re offering NHS doctors, nurses and support staff a helping hand to get to and from work at Christmas time, when public transport is limited.

“This year, it’s fantastic to extend the offer to provide a free meal to help make those shifts a little easier.”

NHS staff can claim their two free Uber trips or Uber Eats codes by visiting here and entering their official NHS email address by 9am on Friday, 20 December.