NHS now saying stuff is free.

The invite wording has probably been trailed to see what wording gets people coming in. Everybody loves a "freebie" so that probably has something to do with it.

I’m pretty sure 99.99% of people are intelligent enough to realise that all the barriers tge OP is describing are there.

Using the word FREE isn’t going to remove them or make people blind to them

free at point of access 🤦🏽‍♀️ there, I fixed it for you 🤷🏽‍♀️

I think a link with choices is the most user friendly way. No need to wait on the end of the phone then or for them to guess people’s availability/ make a random appointment that often won’t work for the patient.

I don't always see emails, a letter is better (lol) because then I write it straight on my calendar. (A paper one because I don't always look at my phone one.) In my trust there's an option to go paper free and they'll send a link to a website in a text.

I can see your point but also why they’ve done this.

They want to encourage people to come and perhaps some would worry they’d be charged, esp if they’re not from here originally (perhaps these are the people not getting mammograms?)

But strictly it isn’t free. It’s included in the NHS provision that is available to all, paid for by public funds. But then we do always say “free at the point of care” rather than “included at the point of care” when lauding the NHS model so we can’t have it all ways!

Not all NHS services are completely "free" at the point of use: I have to pay for prescriptions, pay towards my dental care and pay for certain features for my glasses. Some people may be frightened about additional charges associated with the mammogram. They are reassuring people that it won't cost them anything.

You can always change the time of the appointment. It's not a command.

I am now over the age when I get invited to an appointment. I will have to ring and make my own.

Absolutely correct. I worked for nearly 50 years and my contributions wouldn’t touch the sides of how much I cost.

Well it is a marketing ploy but that's because they are trying very hard to maximise uptake of all cancer screening.
While uptake of breast cancer screening overall has increased, among younger women it's well below target. That's women around 50 who have been called for the first time. As a former breast cancer patient I did some volunteering around cancer prevention, screening and treatment and saw how much effort is put into getting people to their mammogram.

I'm one of the ones who got diagnosed in my first ever mammo, and I'm grateful for that and would advise anyone to go.

And I can see that 'free' is just to reassure people who've had to pay for eye and dental checks and might think this has a cost too.

But I just had to chase my latest monitoring mammo after six weeks of worrying, and it turns out the results are sent from NHS Wales up to England to be processed and then back to us punters in Wales... 🤷‍♀️

The receptionist sounded as baffled and frustrated by it as I was...

But neither is the post. Letters get lost or delayed. It is common to receive a letter telling you about an appointment that happened several days ago.

Other members of the household could intercept the post. People could forget to update their home address.

Emails can be sent encrypted. Or people can be sent a bland text/email asking them to log into an electronic account such as the NHS app to see details of the appointment.

@Bjorkdidit We have contacted you by letter because the post is cheaper and more reliable (not, obviously) than email, which just about everyone else now uses as there preferred form of communication for such matters.

There are good reasons why Email is not used to send out details of medical appointments. It is not a secure method of communication and the system would rely on people keeping their Email address up to date.

Are you serious? So you will vote reform in, knowing they don’t care about the nhs staying free, and will blame labour?

Gawd that's bad. Our local GP used to do bloods too but the roof caved in on the room they did it in about three years ago and for some reason they haven't reinstated it. It's now in a few places, none of which are particularly convenient.

It almost feels like they are trying to put stuff in obscure locations to deter people using the service!

It is free at the point of need.

They are trying to use language in as clear a way as possible in comms to make sure that people don't see any additional barriers to attending the screening.

YABU.

NHS has been described as "free at point of delivery" for as long as I can remember.

Lots of health things cost money.

travel vaccinations aren’t available on the nhs, you have to pay.

eye tests can be free under some circumstances and not in others (I’ve had to pay).

dentistry isn’t free

if you are not born in this country it can be hard working out what is provided on the nhs (and even then eg prescriptions have a charge) and what isn’t.

i actually think it’s good to make it clear

And the parking aspect was almost certainly run by a private contractor, set up to leach public money into the private sector.

I would challenge the concept of "free" because my last mammogram and other appointments are at an excellent facility with very high parking charges and no where else to park within walking distance. It's like a stealth tax and has been known to cause financial difficulties to people with lots of appointments and a low income.

I think it's more likely that there's low take up for mammograms and someone saw a YouTube video on marketing and thought inserting the word 'free' would increase 'sales conversion'...

Like the fire service and other 'free' services, the NHS has been paid for, by us and our families, for generations, via tax.

Ie, we built it, and it is currently 'free' at the point of use.

The education level on this site nowadays is almost as troubling as reddit. Then again, even though education is 'free' (tax supported) it isn't quite in fashion at the moment.

Agree with this.

Exactly.

Life would become so much harder for many working families under Reform.

Talking about location for tests, my health centre used to do blood tests on the premises, it was so straightforward, pop upstairs after seeing the GP, book an appointment and come back a few days later. Now they no longer offer the service, all phlebotomy is done at a "centralised hub" in the city centre,. After you see the GP, they send you a link to make a phone booking. It takes at least 5 attempts to get through on the phone line which is only open for a few hours in the morning to book and then I have a 40 minute journey there and another 40-minute journey back again, The actual tests takes a couple of minutes.