To be fed up with all the NHS discount codes?

[YouDoYouHun]

Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for NHS workers on the front line dealing with the pandemic, that's not what this thread is about, but AIBU to have had enough of shops and businesses offering NHS discount only? Generally, this isn't a new thing and has been around since last March, but this past week or so I have received quite a few emails from various shops/businesses (I won't name) including national and local, offering discount codes for NHS staff only. Great, they deserve it....but what about everyone else too? What about supermarket workers? Council workers? Labourers? Delivery drivers? The postal service? What about the people who have lost their jobs too? Granted, disposable income will be low to non existent so frivolous online shopping purchases will likely not be high on the priority list, but wouldn't that be more reason to offer a discount? for people struggling? How about a pandemic discount code so everyone can enjoy a treat rather than just singling out the NHS and sending the message that unless you work for the NHS you are undeserving?

The NHS also covers a huge variation of roles and I don't particularly find it fair that Mary who works behind the scenes gets the discount just because she is an NHS employee but Barry who works in a supermarket doesn't receive any discount because he doesn't work for the NHS? Not the greatest example, but you hopefully get my point.

This isn't meant to sound grabby. It's not about the discount. Shops/businesses are struggling too and don't have to offer any discount at all. My point is, if there is going to be a discount offered, why effectively invalidate other professions by sending the message that they haven't worked hard enough/suffererd enough to receive the 'prize' that is a discount code?

YABU - what are you talking about? Only NHS employees should receive discounts.

YANBU - This pandemic has affected us all in different ways and we shouldn't be made to feel any less important because we don't work for the NHS.

Frontline NHS staff and those working directly with them, OK, but admin staff in HR for example? NHS staff working from home? Why should they get discounts? Any NHS staff that are not having to go above and beyond their normal job/put themselves at more risk due to covid? Why?

Also, they may be underpaid compared to the private sector but they are in some of the most secure jobs at the moment, which is more than can be said for the majority of the population, many of whom are now unemployed. So I can see why some people find it a little unfair. The NHS is a wonderful thing, but not all NHS staff are created equal, let's face it, so they aren't all equally deserving of a discount IMHO.

@emilyfrost

Hotpeppsau Did you quote the wrong person?

I was agreeing with you. It was to the person above your comment.

[ quote]Frontline NHS staff and those working directly with them, OK, but admin staff in HR for example? NHS staff working from home? Why should they get discounts? Any NHS staff that are not having to go above and beyond their normal job/put themselves at more risk due to covid? Why?[/ quote]

Because they are helping the NHS, a huge and complex organisation, function at a time of crisis and extreme pressure.

Do you really think that the pandemic has not had a massive impact on HR departments in hospital trusts? Their workload is through the roof ensuring that the right staff are recruited and deployed to the right areas.

You are falling into the trap in believing that a health services is just doctors and nurses and everyone else is just having a good time. The system needs managing and administrating or it will fall apart very quickly.

@Eleganz

I think you make a fair point. People other than drs and nurses work on wards including admin, allied health and house keeping.

Should the discount only be to those on covid wards? What about a+e? What about general wards?

I work in mental health and had a very angry head teacher in the 1st lockdown trying to say that my staff weren't key workers because she was an clinical assistant (not a dr or nurse) and not in a covid ward. We had a nice little chat about what might happen if mental health services just decided to close doors.

I dread to think where the "frontline" division might hit on my team. Everyone except the admin? Psychologists who see people face to face? You have to do a certain amount of time on reception?

OP YANBU, I have had to work patient facing non NHS throughout the pandemic and like everyone else have had no special discounts. There are lots of people who have put themselves at risk in various roles throughout the pandemic who aren’t ever recognised. There shouldn’t be specific discounts imho.

The Armed Forces can have a Blue Light Card too. I find this “the NHS are having a discount so we must have one too” tantrum across some of the forces community infuriating. We get a lot of discounts where the NHS don’t. It’s not about us all the time.

Not in iceland and many other places. The rule should be all services or no services if you're offering discounts.

@tinierclanger

NHS staff “sat at home with their feet up”? Nice to know the clinical staff value their support workers so much, who I can assure you are not all “sat at home with their feet up”.

Many of them are in hospitals, in and out of all the danger zones, constant contact with other members of staff. Working in offices with no social distancing because there isn’t the space. Working long hours and getting called out, doing work that the hospital couldn’t function without, under tremendous pressure.

Totally agree. Thanks @YorkiePud25 for your lovely show of support to us.

Absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of bitter, foot stamping, spitting out the dummy type of people there are here! Grow up! The amount of bashing there is towards non patient facing NHS staff is disgusting. Have a word with yourself will you. It's just embarrassing.

We've got loads of vacancies in our trust for anyone desperate to get their hands on the discounts. Lots of jobs come with perks that NHS staff don't get like staff discounts, Christmas parties and other social events paid for, bonuses and PRP. Most of these discounts are a marketing strategy aimed at big employers dressed up as a nice thing to do.

Agree with a pp about how weird britains obsession with the NHS is.

The NHS is substandard and not fit for purpose. Hospitals are filthy, badly run and negligence and harm seem rife. Every single experience me and everyone i know has had with the NHS is very negative. Yet everyone seems so shit scared of losing it they are happy with substandard and often damaging "care". In my opinion the NHS needs entirely scrapping and starting from scratch. I was bored and raised in another country and our healthcare was miles and miles better, superior in every way actually, so its baffling the British obsession. But funny enough this post will be ripped to shreds because the nhs fascists wont like you having an anti nhs opinion.

Born and raised not bored, although the constant hero worship is rather boring.

You’re a fool if you think that NHS staff other than doctors and nurses aren’t as worthy or “putting their feet up” and I pity you. Clinical staff cannot do their jobs without those “others”. Without them, there would be no lives saved.

You should count yourselves lucky that you don’t know what you’re talking about tbh.

Nice to know there are such lovely generous people out there who value the NHS staff.

I wonder how many of you would like us to go down the American route?

Do everyone a favour then and stop using it @Shaniac. If it’s so terrible I’m sure you won’t mind putting your hand in your pocket and paying for a much superior service elsewhere.

Its not just NHS staff though is it? What you mean is clinical staff in general.You don't think clinical staff are good enough or deserving.

But then everyone on mn hates teachers aswell.

Oh it's another 'what about me' thread.

I work for the NHS but am livid that I am not being offered the 20% M&S staff discount.

Is that how you want things to work op? Any discounts on offer must be made available to everybody? Or just everyone on the massive key worker list?

Do everyone a favour then and stop using it @Shaniac. If it’s so terrible I’m sure you won’t mind putting your hand in your pocket and paying for a much superior service elsewhere.

Nah, you see my taxes fucking pay for it. Unless you think i should no longer pay tax to fund it? Thats cool with me.

I agree with you OP. I am emergency services and have a blue light card (I’m not NHS) and there have been a number of occasions where I’ve queued at the supermarket after/before work and when getting to the front I’ve been told “you should have come straight to the front, you didn’t need to queue” but why would I do that? It’s embarrassing barging you’re way to the front brandishing your ID, I feel that it’s rude and I really don’t see why I should get special treatment.

People in emergency services/government/NHS roles have a much lower chance of losing their jobs at the moment compared to others that it really grates on me that we are the people being given the discounts.

@YouDoYouHun

But who is “pitting people against each other”? If someone is so petty as to get wound up, chides to feel hard-done by because someone gets a discount that you don’t get and then feels resentful of other NHS staff, then I would say that is totally on them and only them. It’s a bit pathetic, IMHO. Apart from anything else, how does stopping their discount benefit you exactly?

Not only that, it happens all the time- student discount, OAP discount, some businesses have long-standing NHS/education etc discounts. Are you going to ban businesses giving discounts as they see fit? You know that it is, for the most part, a marketing tool? Easily defined group who can easily prove their credentials with little effort on the part of the business and so is ideal for those purposes. It’s got nothing to do with “pitting” anyone against anything else or saying anyone who isn’t any NHS worker is “not important”. Again, I think this is a bit “woe is me”, very petty and almost like those people who go out looking to be offended or upset. It’s petty and silly. I don’t often use the discounts and if get they were removed I wouldn’t be put up nor down, so I don’t say this to “defend” NHS staff discounts.

I am just a bit fed up of the selfishness and pettiness that covid has brought out in some people. Probably always there, maybe just more obvious now. This is just one, minor, example of that.

Look, at the end of the day if you really object to NHS/other group discount then vote with your feet. And tell the business why.

Trust me @Shaniac, your taxes don’t touch the surface of what it costs the NHS to deal with you in your lifetime but keep deluding yourself.

YABU and reading too much into it. The businesses in question are choosing to offer these discounts, it's good PR for them. It's in no way undermining people who don't work for the NHS.

@PatButchersRightEarring. I think you are the deluded one. But sure keep kissing the ass of the nhs as much as you want. It always makes me laugh how people want a free nhs for all but then think they can dictate who uses it

I am aware that I am going to get ripped apart for this but here we go.
This pandemic has made it clear which roles in society are most vital and which are not.

Nhs staff, teachers, emergency services, shop workers are vital so their jobs are naturally more secure.
People are crazy that people who are in healthcare or education have more secure jobs but this has always been the case.

People who are furloughed and are in less stable jobs...i do feel for you but why not retrain for NHS role or do a pgce?

It's like when the ballet dancer advert created a storm...." maybe she's a computer programmer and dosn't yet know it "
Yes...it is a big tragedy that the arts are suffering but it is big fact of life that if you cannot make money in your chosen field you have to adapt.

I am retraining to do an NHS clinical role and my goodness the course is tough but I will have a stable job at the end. My first passion is art but i cannot make enough to earn my keep so I have to do a vital role.I taught for 10 years too and i was not cut out for it..my colleague an ex marine said teaching was harder than the forces.

If you are furloughed or redundant i feel for you but please consider retraining to do a stable career....and i knos it isn't easy...far from it.

My point is also many people who slate teachers and clinical staff and begrudge them having stable roles couldn't do it themselves. So why begrudge 10% off for those who can or must?

@malificent7

Nice to know there are such lovely generous people out there who value the NHS staff.

I wonder how many of you would like us to go down the American route?

It's not a binary choice between the NHS or the USA way, you know.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of other countries with affordable and functioning health services. Lots of different options in various European countries, or Canada, or Australia.

It's a little stupid to suggest that the only alternative is probably one of the worst systems, whilst ignoring all the countries with, arguable, comparable or better systems.