NHS discounts | Free stuff for NHS workers
I come from a long line of healthcare workers; my mum worked in family planning, and my cousin Angela is a nurse working in paediatrics at Charing Cross hospital. So I have a hands-on view of what it’s like being on the frontline. And just how hard ALL NHS healthcare staff work. It’s only fair that free stuff is offered for NHS staff.
Most NHS staff I know worked through the pandemic, and now, with the cost of living crisis looming large, it’s more important than ever to get NHS staff freebies and discounts where we can.
Here’s the most up-to-date list of free stuff and discounts available to NHS staff:
NHS Food and Drink Freebies
How about free coffee from Starbucks for NHS workers? Imagine you are on the night shift and need to stay awake and be on your game. Free coffee from Starbucks will definitely help with that.
What’s more, experts now say that coffee is good for you after years of telling us that it’s terrible for us. So, not only is this freebie a lifesaver, but it’s also healthy. That’s a win-win right there.
There’s also complimentary tea or coffee from Greggs for NHS workers. Free hot drinks from Greggs will help keep you going during those long shifts. With over 2,100 locations across the UK, there’s bound to be a Greggs near you.
While you’re there, you have to try the vegan sausage roll or the ‘Beanz n cheese melt’ (my favourite). Show your ID card and get complimentary tea, coffee, and a discount on your breakfast.
Food Freebies
You know what they say – beans, beans are good for your heart; the more you eat, the faster you can get around the ward (okay, so maybe they don’t say that, but it’s fuel for sure).
The lovely people a Pret-a-Manger (who give away free coffee to anyone from time to time) support NHS staff by offering a discount on hot drinks and food. So, if you need a caffeine hit or a chicken and bacon caesar sandwich to keep you going, just show your ID card at the till.
The Pret coffee subscription is also great for getting a hot drink. The deal is to pay £25.00 a month, and you can have a coffee, tea and even a frappe every 61 minutes. Right now if you sign up, the first month is £12.50. At this rate, you’ll spend a lot of time in the loo or flying around the ward on your caffeine-fuelled wings.
Talking about caffeine fuelled wings, Red Bull, the king of the late-night early morning shift, is available at Asda with 10% off that and your shopping list with the Blue Light Card (more about that further on)
McDonald’s offers a 20% discount if you order via the app and sign on with your NHS email address. That deep-fried apple pie has never looked so tempting.
Off Duty Refreshments to enjoy
Once off duty, everyone needs to relax and have some downtime. The folks at Alphabet Brewing know this, so they are giving NHS staff 25% off their bill.
Alphabet Brewing Company is a family-run business, and they have a passion for great beer and even better customer service. The microbrewery is in Manchester, but their beer is available all over the UK.
So, if you need a relaxing pint (or two), show your NHS ID card and get some well-deserved discounts.
The same is true for the Great Wine Company, which offers a 25% discount and free delivery on orders over £75.
The Great Wine Company has an extensive range of wines. You will surely find the perfect bottle to compliment your sausage roll and a sticky bun. Free wine delivery is the icing on the cake.
With any of these discounts, if they aren’t directly linked just check out their individual websites or Tweet them. I find a Twitter conversation can produce great results.
NHS Retail Freebies and Discounts
Show me an NHS healthcare worker who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy, and I will show you a middle-management budget consultant.
Don’t let budget planning spoil your fun; it’s good to know plenty of retail freebies and discounts available to NHS staff.
Here are some of the best ones:
ASOS is offering a 10% discount to all NHS staff. ASOS is the perfect place to find stylish, affordable clothes for work and play. With over 850 brands and free delivery on orders over £20, ASOS is a go-to for many of us.
The fashionable retailer Next offers a 10-50% discount for NHS staff. Next is a great place to find workwear. However, they also have a fabulous range of casual wear and party clothes.
NHS staff can get up to 15% off at Marks & Spencer. Marks & Spencer is known for their high-quality clothes, food, and homeware. Free delivery on orders over £50 makes M&S an excellent choice for busy NHS workers.
IKEA is offering all NHS staff a 10% discount (intermittently). IKEA is the perfect place to find affordable furniture and homeware, and let’s not forget about their delicious Swedish meatball lunch. This, my friend, is my top Ikea tip, NHS healthcare worker or not.
You can buy meatballs with gravy, chips and loganberry sauce to eat while in-store or take away some packets frozen for another day. Ikea offers refillable coffee and tea for everyone as standard. Those clever Swedes know what we want and have given us since 1987.
NHS Freebies and Discounts for Leisure and Entertainment
When you work as hard as the NHS, it’s essential to have some R&R, and there’s plenty of almost free stuff and discounts available to NHS staff to help with that.
Here are some of the places that are offering free stuff and discounts to the NHS:
With the National Health Service Discounts Scheme, NHS workers can get 2-for-1 or completely free admission (with a Blue Light Card) at over 240 attractions across the UK.
Some of the most popular attractions include:
– Alton Towers Resort
– Warwick Castle
– Madame Tussauds London
– The Coca-Cola London Eye
– Chessington World of Adventures
– Marwell Zoo
To get the discount, you must sign up for a Blue Light Card account and show your ID card at the ticket office.
More about the Blur Light Card. The Blue light Card is a national discount card and app for emergency services, NHS, social care workers and the armed forces. With the card, you can get discounts on food, travel, days out, restaurants, hotels, fashion, experiences and more.
Joining up is free, but you have to pay for the card, which is £4.99, but once you have the card, the discounts will make up for the initial spend quickly. The critical thing about Blue Light is they are a charity. They only issue cards to people who genuinely work for the good of others.
NHS Health Worker Discounts for Travelling
If you fancy getting away from reality for a few days, plenty of travel freebies and discounts are available to NHS staff.
Here are some of the best ones:
NHS workers can get up to 10% off Eurotunnel Le Shuttle tickets. Eurotunnel Le Shuttle is the fastest way to cross the English Channel. There are journey times from as little as 35 minutes. Free Wi-Fi and onboard entertainment make the journey fly by.
If you don’t want to leave the UK, and let’s face it, the value of the pound means we should stay here and buy local, support Britain, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of travel discounts available for NHS staff.
For example, National Express offers a 20% discount on all coach tickets. Also, Virgin Trains provides a 50% discount on train fares. So think of a weekend in Hastings or a few nights in the lake district rather than an expensive coffee on the Champs de Elysee.
NHS workers can get up to 60% off hotel stays with Secret Escapes. With Secret Escapes, you can find exclusive deals on luxury hotels throughout the UK and Ireland.
Travelodge offers 5% off hotel stays for student nurses and doctors if you’re looking for something a bit more budget-friendly. Just sign up for Student Beans before you book; nice one.
Try the Travelodge in Brentford, it’s just up the road from the fabulous brand-new community stadium.
Brentford Middlesex is the home to ‘The Bees’ and the new Gtech Community Stadium, the site of many a Brentford ( and London Irish) triumph. You’ll also find this Travelodge near the M4 motorway, just a 10-minute walk from Kew Gardens tube station.
Health Discounts for NHS Workers
Kew Gardens is a lovely place to retreat from the world and the closest you’ll get to forest bathing inside the M25. There are always deals and offers at Kew Gardens, and the discounts are not only for NHS staff but carers and those of us that need some time outside. Check the website for up-to-date deals.
We have found discounts on food and drink (I’m always thinking about my next meal) and exciting things to do on days off, not to mention money off retail therapy, so what’s next?
Free accommodation? Free flights? Or free cars? Sadly not, if we could get discounts like that we might be able to get more people to train to be healthcare workers.
My last freebie is a free Headspace Plus membership. Headspace is a fantastic app that offers guided meditation and is brilliant for managing anxiety and stress (which we know our overworked NHS staff suffer from).
The NHS has recognised the value of Headspace and is now offering a 12-month free subscription to all NHS staff. You need to verify your NHS email address to sign up, and then you’re all set.
You can use Headspace on your phone, tablet, or computer, and there are even meditation sessions you can do with your kids. As we all know, it’s impossible to pour from an empty cup, and even harder for exhausted people to keep caring, so light a candle and take a breath.
Conclusion
So there we have it, a list of Freebies for the NHS: The most up-to-date list of Free stuff for NHS staff in 2022. I hope this helps you make the most of your hard-earned salary and appreciate all the discounts and freebies available – a small thank you from us.