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.

Imagine being stuffed in PPE all day working 12 hours holding dying peoples hands and someone begrudges you 10% off at Morrison's. I'm not sure you could have a less generous heart.

NHS discounts have been around for years. Since I started working for them in 2008. Plus Mary behind the seems is an essential cog in a huge machine. She is the one that makes sure you get your follow up appointment and that your letters and test results. She is the one that ensures Dr's are put on a rota so they are in the right place. She is the one that makes sure the wards are cleaned. She is the one that makes sure all patients have food.

@tinierclanger that was the phrase that stuck out for me too. I am sat at home with my feet most definitely not up for 8 hours a day delivering therapy to mentally unwell people over phone/video. While supporting home schooling children. I can assure you though that many clinical staff do not share that attitude; I was frontline for 20 years and always deeply appreciated the work of other staff which was all needed to allow me to care for patients.
As to the discounts, they've indeed been around for some time. Also possibly companies are trying to make themselves look good and increase their business by offering them now?

@Shaniac

Imagine being frontline staff & reading this. I'm sure they'd rather swap jobs with you. Feel free to get a job in the NHS is you want a 10% discount in morrisons...

They are also free to leave and get another job if they want.

Why would a public sector role leave their jobs right now? (Just to please you)

A lot of discounts ran before through blue light. Don’t be so bitter begrudging 10% discount.

Many companies have company benefits all year round regardless of the pandemic.

If your so jealous joined the frontline/NHS staff. You need humbling.

I sometimes feel annoyed (or jealous) by shops which offer discount to students. I'm not talking about essential things, I mean shops selling make up, clothes etc. But NHS staff? Ok by me.

They are businesses. It's a business decision. Costed out. Added benefit feel good factor for other customers knowing that they are "supporting the NHS"
No different to every Sept all the shops offering student discount.

Honestly the level of entitlement on MN frequently baffles me but this thread has just left me totally raging this morning.

Aww diddums. Did somebody get something you didn’t get? What a shame!

How about you grow the f* up and understand you don’t have a clue what it’s like for intensive care staff right now? The level of ignorance is just horrific!

It pisses me off too. I work in a care home and we are in contact with Covid but we don’t get even a fraction of the PPE the NHS gets. We’re also underpaid and over worked. Often taking the strain off the NHS by taking in residents dying of Covid to free up their beds. We had an outbreak of Covid and it was a living nightmare. We’re not trained to deal with that like frontline NHS staff but we had to and a lot of us have PTSD as well as long Covid from contracting Covid. We get fuck all except being told we don’t matter and people get angry that we had access to vaccine first after being thrown under the bus this whole time.

YABVU, and sound incredibly bitter. Would you like to get a low paid job in the NHS just for a 10% discount? Didn't think so. It's a small perk to the job, most jobs have them. I work in a non-patient facing role within the NHS and your post has really riled me up (which is what you wanted wasn't it) I don't know absolutely anybody who works for the nhs, patient facing or not who has 'sat with their feet up'. We haven't stopped working. If the discount is offered I will continue to use it, thanks.

Go and spend 12.5 hours, 3 times a week on covid ward, caring for patients fighting for their breaths, terrified their are going to die. Calling their loved ones and breaking the worst news anyone wants to hear.

Whilst wearing PPE that makes it difficult to breath, sweat until you are dripping and course skin damage to your face/ears.

On your days off, feeling exhausted, tried and guilty.

Do this for over 9 months.

I don't use discounts but I FED UP with the slanting NHS workers get.
Yes for we have a job, yes it's secure but the emotional trauma it's putting us through is sky high. If we get a discount - so what.

Lots of these discounts have been around for years. Many companies have accepted the blue light card or similar for a long time. We got money off our honeymoon with my husband’s card 3 years ago. At the moment they are being more widely publicised because it makes the company look good- particularly at the start of the pandemic. Discounts also exist for military, police and students- they are just not as widely publicised at the moment because the focus is on the NHS. Some companies have said more broadly key workers but as that definition is become widened the number of companies doing this has reduced because it becomes financially unviable.

It isn’t always about saying these people are in a lower paying job but about recognising the job the do and the risk they are taking, which if working with covid patients is substantially higher than the general public. At the beginning of the pandemic we had no idea if the PPE was suitable and remember they didn’t even have sufficient amount of it. Even now there is concern the PPE isn’t sufficient in some areas.

Yes those who are not in patient facing roles (such as IT or HR) can benefit but administrating a sign up system where only patient facing roles get the discount is costly and may cost more than the actual loss if those people have it. And where do you cut off then- ward clerks and cleaners are also exposed though not technically patient facing. For years the military have had discount at places, it is seen as a thank you for putting their lives at risk- they don’t differentiate between those in desk roles and those in combat roles, I’ve never seen anyone complain about that.

I hope you are all prepared to hold the govt to account for the low wages and poor working conditions.

@Wobblysausage

It pisses me off too. I work in a care home and we are in contact with Covid but we don’t get even a fraction of the PPE the NHS gets. We’re also underpaid and over worked. Often taking the strain off the NHS by taking in residents dying of Covid to free up their beds. We had an outbreak of Covid and it was a living nightmare. We’re not trained to deal with that like frontline NHS staff but we had to and a lot of us have PTSD as well as long Covid from contracting Covid. We get fuck all except being told we don’t matter and people get angry that we had access to vaccine first after being thrown under the bus this whole time.

And I feel awful for you guys. I certainly think morrisons, etc ought to extend the discount to you. Not sure whether they think they can’t police it as no standard company ID or if not commercially viable.

As a previous poster said it will be a business decision for companies. They will have decided they will benefit more from the publicity and also drawing more customers in than they’ll lose from the 10%.

Oh FGS it's a marketing ploy to get new customers. That's it. They just picked an easily identifiable group. It's all about selling to new people.

OP we need more HCA’s on our team if you’d like to apply so you can get 10% off your Iceland shop?
We can get you started really quickly because we can get you one of our dead colleagues uniforms ( they’re still in her locker because we can’t find a key) We have loads spare from the others off sick with long covid as well. Some of the dead ones have already had their uniforms reclaimed.
It might take s bit longer to get you fitted for FFP3 masks and you’ll need to do so research on how to stop the straps from tearing your skin.
Do you have an appropriate set up at home so that you can strip off and get straight in a shower before touching your children?
Now with regards clinical stuff, I’m assuming your ok with all bodily fluids? Urine, faeces snd vomit are ok but I must admit I get a bit anxious when dealing with sputum and that really sticky phlegm, especially when it’s blood stained.
Are you up to date with last offices? Obviously all a but different now with the old covid.

And you’ll need to warn your family that you’ll be zoning out of family life for a while. But at least they’ll have cheap chicken nuggets eh?

NHS discount has been around for years, if local businesses are now offering them that's up to them, and good for them. Are you outraged that teachers get a discount at Morrisons? The blue light card offers discounts to emergency service workers (including, gasp, admin staff)? Student discount must get your blood pressure sky high.

I find the British obsession with fawning over NHS staff nauseating and tiring

It's not the NHS as a whole though. Only the sainted frontline. The managers working 15 hours a day (even if from home) managing services, sorting out testing, responding to the millions of demands from staff/NHSE etc tend to be dismissed as admin staff sitting at home with their feet up. And often by the frontline staff who yes, are having a shit time. But will have an even shitter time if all of that management and admin support was removed - for a start they wouldn't get paid.

I have no skin in this game anymore. I left the NHS a long time ago and btw we had discounts then. I also had discounts when I briefly worked for a large cancer charity years ago. I probably had discounts when I worked for the civil service, but as most of them are pretty shit And for things I'd never use and places I don't shop I never bothered to find out. Now I'm freelance I have nothing.

It's really striking on this thread how many people don't actually read & try to understand what the OP is saying before jumping in guns blazing.

This is a really horrible thread.

The comment about fawning and over-thanking the NHS is shameful. We should be proud to have a health service that is free at the point of contact, and particularly supportive of their work in this crisis.

As pp have said, there are discounts out there for teachers, police, forces etc. They are often aimed at public sector employees because private sector employees would usually look to their employer to offer or negotiate perks.

They are also business decisions, designed to encourages large numbers of people to switch allegiances and create new spending habits.

Anyone who thinks discounts should be offered to anyone 'deserving' needs to look at the keyworker list for school place eligibility - it's a lot of people, and then even more complaining that they should be on it. And 10% off for everyone isn't really feasible for shops and businesses is it.

@DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult

The alternative would be that nobody gets a discount.

Why do people see something nice that a company is doing for someone else and instead of being happy that there's a bit of a treat for someone, they just complain about it because they can't get it?

Would it really improve your life if NHS workers didn't get a discount?

Shops will be charging more across the board to be able to give the discounts, so other shoppers are indirectly paying for it.

How about discounts for the 3 million self employed excluded from the covid support schemes who are losing their savings and risk losing their homes?

There are lots of deserving people (newly unemployed due to covid, other key workers etc) - what about them?

Let's be clear that these discounts are first and foremost to increase sales for the company offering them as the NHS is a large employer. Only second to this is the fact that it is giving those (not all) who have worked hardest through this pandemic a little kickback reward while making the company look good for supporting the NHS.

There are various discounts available for everyone who has lived through this pandemic, it's called a sale and more often than not you don't need a code.

As for the haves and have nots, I have a blue light card as I work for the emergency services. I have also received discounts at various places when I worked in a supermarket. DP who has also worked throughout this pandemic has no such benefit but he does get two bonuses a year so swings and roundabouts. My point is, there are little kickbacks/benefits to be had in a lot of professions.

@Wobblysausage this is not a goady message. Why don’t you apply for a CSW role in NHS? Working in a care home is relentless I’ve done it and the money isn’t great. However I will tell you from personal experience of working with staff who are not permanent some of the workers started off in a care home first you can definitely tell. It’s not all bad I miss working with the regular residents and getting to see the same faces!

It's really striking on this thread how many people don't actually read & try to understand what the OP is saying before jumping in guns blazing.

I think they do, it's still a spiteful comment when discounts have been around for ages. From a business point of view as well, what's the point in offering 10% off for those who have lost their jobs, do you think they'll be spending much?

Why do you care? Do you begrudge students their discount too?
I am an NHS worker and do you have any idea how much it costs us to maintain professional registration. How much further studying and continuing development we have to do for such little pay?

Yeah. They've always been here, but the fact that everywhere is now "nhs staff are heroes!!!" and pushes discounts for them, while totally ignoring others who absolutely deserve recognition is quite off. And it's not just discounts! It's everything.
Yes, the job is tough, but the obsession with nhs and it's workers is unreal in England. Unreal. It's a basic healthcare system with staff working hard. Like on MANY other countries. Where they appreciate a nd respect them but don't obsess over them.