A senior NHS boss has accused panic buyers of depriving healthcare staff of the food supplies they need, adding: “Frankly we should all be ashamed.”

NHS England national medical director Stephen Powis’​ comments, at a Downing Street press conference, came after days in which supermarkets have seen their shelves stripped of food by shoppers fearful of running out during the coronavirus shutdown.

Retailers revealed that hoarders are storing £1bn worth of goods in their homes, creating shortages despite the fact that manufacturers have produced 50 per cent more food in the last week than usual.

Prof Powis said that the impact of panic buying on healthcare workers was graphically illustrated in the widely shared video of critical care nurse Dawn Bilbrough, from York, weeping after finding her local supermarket empty of food after coming off a 48-hour shift.

“Frankly, we should all be ashamed that that has to happen,” he said. “It’s unacceptable.

“These are the very people that we will all need to look after us or our loved ones in the weeks ahead. It is critical that by not stockpiling, by not selfishly shopping, by leaving these supplies for others too, that our health workers are able to get access to what they need.”

Standing alongside Prof Powis, environment secretary George Eustice issued a plea to Britons to “be responsible when you shop and think of others”, particularly healthcare workers.

“There is no risk of food running out,” he said.​

“Buying more than you need means that others may be left without, making life more difficult for those frontline workers, such as our doctors and nurses and NHS support staff, who are working so hard in such difficult circumstances.

“So as you shop, think of those who are finishing their late shifts and need to pop to the local shop at the end of a long day.”

Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK The usually busy Royal Mile in Edinburgh is empty as people stay away from public areas amid the coronavirus outbreak on 13 March Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Ho bart's Amusement Arcade in Westward Ho!, Devon is offering toilet roll and soap as prizes in grabber machines Rob Braddick/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK An empty platform at Farringdon Station in London the morning after the Prime Minister said that Covid-19 "is the worst public health crisis for a generation" PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Shopkeepers Asiyah Javed and husband Jawad from Day Today Express, in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk are giving away facemasks, antibacterial hand wash and cleaning wipes to the elderly in a bid to stop the spread of Coronavirus Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A usually busy street in Cambridge is empty as people stay away from public areas amid the coronavirus outbreak on 2 March James Linsell-Clark/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A hand sanitiser dispenser is seen inside the stadium during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on 8 March Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Maaya Indian Kitchen in Milton Keynes is offerig customers a free roll of toilet paper with every takeaway order SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Oliver Cooper[L], was sent home from school for selling spurts of handsanitiser to fellow pupils at 50p a time. He poses with mum Jenny Tompkins by their home in Leeds Ashley Pemberton/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Empty toilet paper shelves at a supermarket in London on 12 March EPA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A member of the public is swabbed at a drive through Coronavirus testing site set up in a car park in Wolverhampton Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A passenger wears a protective face mask as she travels on a bus in the City of London AFP/Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A Southampton fan wears a face mask before the match against Newcastle United on 7 March Reuters Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A loudspeaker placed in grounds of St Mary's Catholic Church in Broughattin, Dundalk, County Louth ahead of funeral mass later this morning. The loudspeaker has been placed in the grounds after the Catholic Archdiocese said that funerals and weddings should not exceed 100 attendees within the church building PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A hand sanitising station set up outside Cheltenham Racecourse during day four of the Cheltenham Festival on 13 March PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK People wearing protective face masks walk across London Bridge on 11 March AFP/Getty

He added: “There is more than enough food to go round and our food supply chain is able to expand production to cope with increased demand.”

The chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, who took part in a call with supermarkets alongside Mr Eustice and the prime minister today, called on shoppers to “make sure they only buy what they need”.

“There is a billion pounds’ more food in people’s houses than there was three weeks ago, so we should make sure we eat some of it,” she said.

Ms Dickinson said people may not always be able to buy their usual products and admitted there “may be less choice than perhaps there has otherwise been” during the outbreak.

She said: “I was in my local supermarket this morning. I didn’t get my normal list ... but there was plenty of other things that I bought instead, it wasn’t like there was nothing available.”

Ms Dickinson compared the situation to Christmas “without the four months build-up in planning” but insisted that there was enough food. The issue stems from transporting goods to the shelves more quickly, rather than shortages of goods.

The environment secretary faced repeated questions about the prospect of rationing if people refuse to behave sensibly but said retailers were better placed to decide on which stock to place limits on.

He said: “The reality is that most of the supermarkets are already, of their own accord, putting limits on certain items so I don’t think it is necessary or appropriate for the government to dictate this.”

The government is also keeping “a close eye” on profiteering, Mr Eustice said, amid concerns some products have been sold online for inflated prices.