A CARING Barrhead cabbie has volunteered to take NHS frontline staff to work for free.

Kenny Docherty, who has worked for taxi firm Compass Cars for seven years, is full of praise for the work NHS staff have been doing since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Not so long ago, 52-year-old Kenny suffered from sepsis and is now keen to give something back to those who helped him through that difficult time in his life.

He told the Barrhead News: “I was in hospital a couple of years ago suffering from sepsis and the staff there did an absolute cracking job looking after me. I’m only trying to pay back what they have done for me.

“The NHS staff are under an immense amount of pressure. My daughter is studying to become a nurse and my niece is a nurse, so the NHS is something that is quite close to my family.

“It is worrying, as the whole situation we are in is horrendous.”

The team at Barrhead-based Compass Cars is also keen to help elderly residents with any appointments they need to keep or shopping they need to do during the pandemic.

Raymond Stanley, owner of Compass Cars, said: “I’m going to be subsidising Kenny and we are going to do our best to help the community.

“The whole thing was Kenny’s idea and, if we can help in any way, we will.”

Anyone who is a member of NHS staff and needs help to get to work can call Compass Cars on 0141 880 8800 and ask for Kenny.

Meanwhile, an East Renfrewshire hotel is offering free rooms to NHS staff during the coronavirus outbreak.

Free rooms will be available at the Busby Hotel, in Clarkston,
The Manorview Hotel and Leisure group, which runs the Busby Hotel, has extended the generous offer to NHS workers who need to self-isolate away from family during the Covid-19 crisis.

Bosses took the decision after the hotel temporarily stopped trading earlier this month because of the pandemic.

Posting a message on Facebook, the owners said: “More than ever, we need to secure the health, safety and wellbeing of our NHS team.

“They are on the front line, helping us all and saving lives.

“It’s a time for us all to act in a selfless way.”