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AIBU?

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Original poster

NHS now saying stuff is free.

310 replies

MixMaxChop · 04/06/2026 11:18

Dear Mrs Chop

Welcome to NHS breast screening. We would like to invite you for your free mammograms. We have made you an appointment in a hospital that is not local to you in the arse end of a city that does not have any access from the railway station and parking is strictly limited and none of your previous mammograms have ever been in this city before but that’s not the point.

Free??

A) it isn’t free. My NHS contributions have paid for this many times over.

B) Surely “free” is the whole point of the NHS

C) are they craftily prepping us to have to start paying for services now in a stealth move to privatise the NHS?

OP posts:
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MotherofPufflings · 04/06/2026 11:29

C) are they craftily prepping us to have to start paying for services now in a stealth move to privatise the NHS?

That makes you sound like a conspiracy theorist. The more likely explanation is that they are making it clear that this isn't like a dentist or optician where you have to pay extra, to encourage as many as possible to take up the screening offer.

Getmeacoffeenow · 04/06/2026 11:29

FFS just go to your mammogram or don’t and be fucking grateful.

Also an individual’s NHS contributions don’t touch the sides of making the NHS free.

cestlavielife · 04/06/2026 11:28

Don't be daft. You are not paying a 250£ fee.
It is free to you at point of service.
Go private if you prefer
You do not pay your own personal fee into nhs it comes out of general taxes NI etc

oliviaAustin · 04/06/2026 11:28

It’s obviously to stop people from denying the offer out of fear it’ll cost money. It’s just being clear that they don’t have to pay. Not everyone is British born and they may assume these things will cost so don’t go.

CasperGutman · 04/06/2026 11:28

"Free" seems a reasonable simplification as "We would like to invite you for your free-at-the-point-of-delivery-but-of-course-your-taxes-have-contributed-a-variable-amount-to-the-pot-of-money-from-which-they're-funded mammograms" doesn't scan very well.

Shrinkhole · 04/06/2026 11:28

They are challenging a perceived barrier for people on a low income to attend screening. Not everything is a party political point. Not everything is about you.

FookFookFook · 04/06/2026 11:26

They are just trying to encourage people to attend for screening. It's free at the point of delivery. Everyone entitled to NHS care can attend. They are just trying to encourage uptake.

Primefungus · 04/06/2026 11:24

It is likely because people aren't turning up and they want to try and remove any perceived barriers to attending.

BIWI · 04/06/2026 11:24

I'm guessing they're stressing that it's free is one way to encourage take up of the screening programme.

Mulledjuice · 04/06/2026 11:20

Yabu but you know that.