I wrote to Waitrose because it is impossible to get a delivery slot and I am self isolating. They replied today with a standard response including: “Helping our customers:-
To support our elderly and vulnerable customers, and those who look after them, we are offering a dedicated shopping hour. This will be the first opening hour in each of our Waitrose shops. If you need to know the opening hours for your local branch, you can find this information here.
We’re also taking the first steps in giving our elderly and vulnerable customers priority access to future online shopping deliveries. We’ll be doing this in a number of ways, including contacting as many customers as we can who have previously identified themselves to us as elderly or vulnerable and looking at how we can reach those on the list of vulnerable people the government intends to share with retailers. We’re doing all we can as quickly as possible, so we’d kindly ask that our customers wait for further communication from us on this. “
I have not had a letter from NHS so I guess I will not be on their list so will not get delivery from Waitrose unless they noted my self isolation in my email to them. It is also clear that the government hasn’t yet found a way to share its vulnerable list with retailers, so we could be waiting for a while.
Written by
Miggins60
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I`ve not had a letter from the NHS either......just one from haematology dept few weeks ago. Been trying to order on line too to no avail. No slots at all through April that I can find. What are we supposed to do?!
I think we’re expected to find a fit person to get us our shopping essentials. Hope you have someone. Please do not go to supermarket yourself. I think they will be source of infection. Mags
Yes frustrating isn't it. I have got a letter but still unable to book a delivery slot. It just keeps coming up with the 'helping our older and vulnerable' stuff. I am lucky that my husband can venture out to do essential food shopping but strictly speaking this is a risk to me unless we live completely separately - which is not realistic for everyone. Almost at the point of giving up with Waitrose - not good.
Yep I got that standard reply. But what is even more frustrating is a friend who isn’t at risk, just 70 has had an email from Waitrose offering priority slots ! Grrr.....
Sadly my foray on online shopping is not going well.
Seems some supermarkets are pretending to be sympathetic and responding to the needs of the vulnerable but really they are trying to capture new customers. Mostly a shambles.
The access to data and up to date data seems a major problem in this connected world.
I have neighbours in their 30s having home deliveries still and bragging about it. They just don’t understand how those that need the deliveries to safe guard are being ignored.
Several companies starting food boxes by post. Latest M&S.
Managed to find it, and also a lot of complaints about the high sugar content. Seems odd to put in Percy Pigs ( pink jelly like children’s sweets for non M&S customers ) 🤔
I’ve had my letter & registered with HMRC as vulnerable- still bugger all help with getting deliveries - going to have to resort to making my own toothpaste!!
I’ve found that clicking the vulnerable bit doesn’t achieve anything except for telling me about the times they’ve reserved in store. Neither myself or my husband are venturing out now because he has experience of seeing me gasping for breath with pneumonia some years ago and wouldn’t want to repeat it!
Not everyone has people who can do a full shop or they’d want to put in that position. This is really ramping up now and the next few weeks will be critical.
I appreciate this has had to be arranged hurriedly but it’s clearly not working for people like yourself. Best wishes and I hope you can get sorted with your shopping soon. Are there no voluntary agencies helping in your area? Perhaps ring your local Council to ask though if you’re like me you’d probably prefer to order your own groceries.
Hopefully, once the total lockdown is eased (not sure when), deliveries for the 12 week isolators will be more available.
'Ben Stimson, director of Waitrose.com explained that the supermarket is getting in touch with elderly and vulnerable customers directly “so they don’t need to call us to arrange a slot”.
Waitrose will also be accessing the government’s data to help prioritise vulnerable customers when sorting out online delivery slots.'
'A spokesperson for Asda said the supermarket is working with the government and several other supermarkets “to ensure those people who have identified as highly vulnerable get what they need and are protected from Covid-19“.
In a letter sent to Sainsbury’s customers this week, chief executive Mike Coupe explained how the measure is going to work.
“We will receive the government database this week which tells us which people in England the government considers to be the most vulnerable,” Mr Coupe said.
“Where these people are already registered with us, we will start to write to them next week to offer them a delivery slot.”
So it appears the supermarkets themselves will have access to the Government's database of those who are vulnerable. They can presumably check with that database when the customer applies for the delivery slot.
If you require grocery delivery you really need to get on that database.
I put myself on that list the day I got the first text and just frustrated that no one has so far contacted me. I don’t like to have to ask friends and family to shop for me because I am so fussy ! And seeing that sign saying they are prioritising the vulnerable with slots is driving me mad !
Moan over, but watched David Hockney on television and he said all we need is food and love !
Yes, can really sympathise. Especially with the 'fussy' bit😊.
The difficulty is getting on the supermarket website to begin with! I managed to get a slot with Tesco at 1 am this morning. Had to wait 40 minutes to access the site. Soonest delivery in my area is 21st April, so booked that slot before it went, on strict rations (and love) until then, lol.
Apparently, Tesco open up the new delivery/collection slots at around midnight time. Although last night it was a bit later. Given up with Morrisons, half an hour wait to get online only to find no slots available, Sainsbury are not taking new customer registrations and Waitrose and Iceland don't deliver in my area.
A tip for when you ask a relative/friend to shop for you.......send them a photograph of the item if possible. Our youngest son has turned up with some extraordinary items after reading our shopping list!😜
Believe me I am the original Miss Fussy ! But what I am doing is googling a brand and then tracking it down. So have ordered 8 packets of my favourite biscuits from Scotland and have tracked down my favourite pasta, currently out of stock, but I will check every day. A positive is I am cooking far more vegetables in stir fry’s, so if it wasn’t for the biscuits I would be very healthy.
Well done, Colette, proactive, that's the way to go... and why wouldn't a drop of shortbread go amiss? 'A little bit of what you fancy does you good' and all that....
I tried Tesco last night from 10.00. At midnight I went into a queue and when I got my turn 20 mins later there were no slots available. Guess you’re either lucky or not. I’ll keep trying.
I've managed to get a parcel from Morrisons. There are two types available one is a meat version and one a vegetarian version. I had to queue for around 30 minutes to get onto the site first, then I went under the groceries heading and eventually found the parcels. They cost £35 each and that's delivered. They show what's in them and also there's a description as well. The reviews of them have been really good so far. I had the choice of several days for delivery to choose from whereas there were no delivery slots for normal shopping. You can order up to 2 boxes. They contain fresh produce as well. Mine is arriving on Saturday so I'll feed back on how it is. Obviously I'm unable to go out and I've no one who can bring us any shopping so we really need food etc. I've had a parcel vis signing up from the web page and that wasn't too bad so hopefully between the two we should be ok.
I have been a Waitrose online customer for years and I usually alternate between them and Ocado. I haven’t been able to get any slots at all with Waitrose, despite their words about vulnerable customers. Their website doesn’t seem to be robust enough to deal with the extra traffic. It is my husband who has CLL but the accounts are in my name, so I don’t really know how the supermarkets will recognise any existing vulnerable customers. I registered my husband’s details on the government database and provided my email address in the hope that they would cross reference.
I emailed Ocado to say that my husband was on the vulnerable list and so far I’ve had regular deliveries but I don’t know if that is pure chance.
Incidentally, I have found local farm shops that are delivering and also some local cafes not only offering takeaways but also basic provisions.
I have received a letter from haematology and completed the Gov/UK sign up, plus a follow up sms from Gov/UK telling me that they could not find evidence of clinical extreme vulnerability. I called my GP practice yesterday enquiring about validation of my status and the fabled letter. I was told that I would receive a letter by the end of this week and the Gov/UK initiative announced by the Prime Incompetent had been " a cock up".
We have had no luck with Waitrose deliveries since their statement that they were shifting their delivery focus to old and vulnerable, despite the fact that we have deliveries from them most weeks. My wife normally communicates with Waitrose but I have set up a seperate account hoping to use the vulnerability route to access deliveries, eventually.
I have been able to access deliveries from Sainsbury's, going online regularly (early and late) and found short term delivery availability. I have also used the Sainsbury's automated phone system to register as" clinically extremely vulnerable" and have now been told that I qualify and the registration process is underway. They say that I should receive confirmation in a couple of days. Fingers crossed!
Stay safe and successful hunting and gathering to all.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Just not sure what we can and can't do 
Watch and Wonder, but Do-no matter what stage!!!
APDS Study - USA - Connecting with APDS Patients/Caregivers
