NHS staff discounts, guide for dummies

[lljkk]

Anyone willing to indulge me? I'm starting an 11.5 month contract soon.
How does one apply for the discount scheme, and how do you make good use of it?

It seems like you have to register & pay (£6 once only?, but nobody checks that you are actually NHS staff to sign up for it?!) to get a discount card. Then ask everytime in a shop/cafe/service place whether they accept it. Otherwise, look for nhs-staff discount offers before buying online (the offers are always time-limited, though, maybe many conditions attached).

There's a special NHS 2.5-5% cashback card, I see that being especially helpful with supermarket shops. Have to pay (all of £2.99 one-off) for this cash card, front load it, and always use this card to pay (but honoured by many main supermarkets).

Do I understand correctly the staff discount scheme? Are there better strategies for taking advantage of it? TIA.

You want a blue light card. £5 for 3 years. They confirm employment by sending an email to your NHS email account.

Is Blue-light card same as NHS staff discount card?

I just registered using a non-NHS email addy. But someone does check in some way eventually to make sure it is an NHS email address ordering the card?

That link above said £6 (5.95), but didn't seem to say how long good for.

Told you I need a dummies guide...

No. Not the same.

www.bluelightcard.co.uk/

thanks for link.

tbh, I'm completely confused about whether any of these discount cards are worthwhile. The answer lies in how easy they are to use & even then, whether I would use them more than once a year... the supermarket 3% cashback is only part that maybe appeals, so far. I don't visit restaurants or patronise most of the businesses mentioned in reviews. Even then, seems like you have to jump thru hoops or the offers are very time-limited (for stuff I almost never want to buy, anyway). I loathe loyalty card schemes, this is example why.

Review of blue light card.

Not hard to make back the £1/1.50 per year it costs though. That’s one trip to the Toby Carvery on a weekday for me and DD.

DD needed a new school coat. Got £4.50 off a brilliant coat at Mountain warehouse.

The app is pretty good. I’m looking for a new fridge. Buying curry’s vouchers via BLC might offer the best option for us. (I buy with a cashback credit card so will save an additional 0.5%). It does add up.

Ta again 4 reply. I'm keen to other experiences, other ways that people find that the discount cards are worthwhile for them (without being a total faff).

Everyone talks about going to restaurants I don't visit. Maybe I'm unaware of how we really spend our money, just seems like not the places or opportunities others mention.

I just take my nhs ID card into the likes of millers, dotty p’s, mountain warehouse, Nando’s etc and they give me the discount. I think you can get discount at additional places with the blue light card but I’ve not bothered.
Also use your nhs email address and sign up to health service discounts and you can get money off hotels

I've got a blue light card and have barely used it. I used health service discounts for my airport parking last year which was quite good,

I’ve got a health service discount cashback card. To be honest it’s a bit of a faff because there’s only a limited selection of shops where you can get cash back. I use it mostly for big purchases otherwise it’s not really worth the effort.

That being said I’ve only has the card for 2 months and I’ve already made back the initial outlay and more. It’ll get you an extra few quid a month but you won’t make massive savings with it.

I never bothered with this. An NHS ID card (which you should get when you start a job) gets you a discount in quite a lot of places including 20% off at Nandos!
I think most places who do a student discount also do an NHS discount, you just have to ask.