Staff at the NHS Nightingale Hospital are being given specially-branded T-shirts following a donation from a retail chain.

Marks and Spencer has handed over thousands of tops to form part of the uniform pack for the team caring for coronavirus patients at the ExCeL.

It is also donating individual clothing care packs to help provide comfort and dignity for patients when they are discharged from the temporary hospital.

Chief executive Steve Rowe said: “We’re doing our bit to help the NHS by focussing on what we do best - providing great food and clothes - in the hope we can make it just a little easier for our NHS heroes to do what they do best, as well as the patients in their care.”

Natalie Forrest, chief operating officer at NHS Nightingale London, added: “These packs will ensure real dignity for our patients and make the nurses very proud to be able to provide such an amazing level of care.”