WHSmith and Sainsbury’s have extended their supply partnership to hospitals to help support NHS staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Eighty of WHSmith’s hospital stores will stock an increased range of Sainsbury’s products from today to make it easier for healthcare workers to purchase food and essential household items.

More than 90 additional Sainsbury’s products, including toilet roll, pasta, long-life milk and ambient food products, will be sold in the WHSmith stores during the health emergency.

WHSmith previously tied up with Sainsbury’s to enhance its food-to-go proposition in a number of its high street and travel locations. It said the extension of that partnership would “enhance the convenience” of its hospital stores for NHS staff, “helping them access essential grocery products more easily at this critical time”.

NHS staff will continue to receive a 20% discount on all products in WHSmith’s hospital stores, including all Sainsbury’s items.

Toby Kier, managing director of WHSmith’s travel division, said: “We are so grateful for the exceptional efforts and commitment of our NHS staff and are delighted to extend our support across WHSmith hospital stores to make their days a little easier.

“I would also like to thank our amazing store colleagues who are going above and beyond to ensure we are able to continue supporting our hospital communities at this critical time.”

Sainsbury’s director of business development Michael Luck added: “Our phenomenal NHS staff are working incredibly hard to keep us all safe and well. We hope that by bringing some essential Sainsbury’s grocery products to WHSmith stores in hospitals we’ll make it a little bit easier for them to access the products they need most.”