Free rides to and from hospital are being offered to London’s frontline NHS workers who are trying to help combat the coronavirus.

Donations from members of the public and businesses have seen the value of the trips being made available via Addison Lee’s Donate-A-Ride scheme more than double to over £100,000 within hours of it being launched.

The scheme is part of a effort by the premium car service and its corporate clients to back key workers in London.

Addison Lee, who made a contribution of £50,000, said the free rides would be open to NHS trusts within the M25.

Chief executive Liam Griffin said: “At this crucial stage in the fight against coronavirus, it has never been more important to support our NHS heroes.

“With Donate-A-Ride, in partnership with our corporate customers and with generous donations from the British public, we’ll make getting to and from work as easy and safe as possible for those on the frontline.”

A GoFundMe page – www.gofundme.com/f/donate-a-ride-for-the-nhs – has been set up so that members of the public can contribute, while businesses are asked to contact hereforlondon@addisonlee.com.

Addison Lee said it would work with the trusts to distribute the donations and start the free rides.