Uber offer free Christmas journeys for NHS staff in Salford

Uber is offering a promotion to NHS staff that allows them to claim two free taxi journeys or two free Uber Eats meals.

The two £10 vouchers can be redeemed between the 23rd and 27th of December using an NHS staff email address.

Laura Green is a Staff Nurse at Salford Royal. She said that she would be making the most of the promotion: “Christmas makes it a little stressful knowing how I am going to get into work for my night on Christmas Eve.

“It can be a lot busier over Christmas in the hospital and trying to keep up with all the Christmas activities at home can be quite draining.”

NHS services typically see an increase in strain at Christmas time. Last December, £300,000 was invested in “drunk tanks” to tackle the number of intoxicated patients in A&E.

HOW CHRISTMAS IMPACTS SALFORD ROYAL

Salford Royal is a major trauma centre for the whole of Greater Manchester.

In the past four years, 229 people have spent both Christmas and New Year in Salford Royal after suffering major trauma injuries.

Over the festive period, there is an increase in the number of patients admitted to Salford Royal’s major trauma unit, with Christmas Day seeing the most admissions.

Since 2015 throughout the month of December, a total of 333 people have been admitted to Salford Royal following a traumatic head injury.

During the month of December over the past four years, there have been 55 deaths related to major trauma at Salford Royal.

On Christmas Day, on average, one person will die of major trauma injuries at Salford Royal.

Uber expressed gratitude for the NHS on their blog: “Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone, but perhaps none more so than for NHS staff.

“To say thank you for everything they do for us all year, this Christmas we’re trying to make their lives a little bit easier.”

NHS staff have until the 20th of December to claim their free vouchers from the Uber website.

Salford Royal recently received a £67 million investment for a new emergency centre which will save up to 50 more lives per year.

Image credit: Matthew Lanceley