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.

Youdoyouhun - for what it's worth, BlueLightCard cards aren't all that. Discounts are rubbish so I can't be bothered. Happy for you to come do my job though.......comes with the perk of a shitty BlueLightCard card that you seem to have such a problem with.

I am a GP receptionist. I got 10% off a coat for my son for Christmas at Superdry. I'm not working in icu or patient facing. I can take over 100 calls in a day sometimes. All of them start with someone wanting me to help them. And I do. I'm really proud of my job. And I was really happy with my sons coat. I'm on my own now and the discount was a massive help to me.

lovemyflipflops I absolutely appreciate the work done by postal workers. They work their arses off, especially in the run up to Christmas this time. They put themselves very much at risk on a daily basis with covid. Mine got a very good tip at Xmas 😊

Basically, stuff over there in ASDA is in my eyes on par with many of the NHS stuff. Worked through pandemic, getting abuse, threats and being physically attacked. Deals with high chance of catching it too. But recognition in there is very much missing. That's bit sad.

It doesn't bother me. What I find irritating is all the jealous nasty comments 'but what about me? I didn't get anything'

People feeling sorry for themselves is so annoying.

"Basically, stuff over there in ASDA is in my eyes on par with many of the NHS stuff. Worked through pandemic, getting abuse, threats and being physically attacked. Deals with high chance of catching it too. But recognition in there is very much missing. That's bit sad."

Absolutely this

NHS CAMHs face to face provision has ground to a halt. There are a lot of very needy children not getting the service the desperately need.

Meanwhile many on a fraction of the salary out of the NHS carry on putting themselves at risk face to face with zero recognition.

NHS staff have job security and school places.

Can we also lay to rest the picture that all NHS staff are ICU and A&E staff putting themselves at risk they really aren’t. I’ve got a hospital appointment this month. I have to have a Covid test and self isolate before the appointment. The staff will all have had vaccines. Meanwhile I’m expected to trudge off to work and work without social distancing or ventilation, face to face, no vaccine and no Covid testing of the large number of children I’m working with. The very same children NHS camhs staff deem too dangerous to be in the same room with on a 1 to 1 basis.

What a stupid post- if everyone had the discount because we "are all struggling" then EVERYONE would have it wouldn't they?

Bloody hell, maybe stop being so fcking bitter and try to change your attitude eh?

I could equally ask- why do only covid deaths matter? noone interviewed me for the news when my mum died of cancer or my dad died. Noone said how awful it was the cancer deaths every year are 200,000

I could equally ask: WHAT ABOUT MEEEEE?

Also- just to piss you off even further, I just got 22% off at look fantastic with my blue light card!!

I was prepared to come on here and say YABU but I see your point - I feel really bad for supermarket workers (especially having to deal with people not wearing masks). They're front line heroes in my eyes! Not to mention keeping everyone fed.

@N0Sl33p my friend who is senior manager in CAMHS is working her fingers to the bone, doing far more hours than she's contracted to and for no time back or pay. The service has not ground to a halt.

Threads starting ‘don’t get me wrong’ are usually full of bitterness about something or other.

I noticed similar living in Florida back in 2011 when the Afghanistan war was on and Florida has many military bases plus highest number retired veterans so VA hospitals and such. Every business had a military discount. And it was annoying because the military and veterans were the affluent people in this part of Florida. (Them and we NASA types.) everyone else was struggling. I felt like the discounts should go to the actual needy.

From op:

“ Shops/businesses are struggling too and don't have to offer any discount at all. ”

Exactly, they don’t have to offer discount but they do, to look good and for business reasons. These discounts haven’t come from the NHS asking for them, the business have done it off their accord. It obviously pays, else they wouldn’t continue doing them. If you are cross, it should be at the businesses, not the NHS employees.

@Standrewsschool

From op:

“ Shops/businesses are struggling too and don't have to offer any discount at all. ”

Exactly, they don’t have to offer discount but they do, to look good and for business reasons. These discounts haven’t come from the NHS asking for them, the business have done it off their accord. It obviously pays, else they wouldn’t continue doing them. If you are cross, it should be at the businesses, not the NHS employees.

Nah. If someone finds out you are not offering discount, you become bit of a target because "Hoe can you not appreciate the NHS?!". It takes one person to ask on social media. I've seen one small business saying they can't afford it and I am just glad I am not the one handling their DMs tbh.

CAMHs have done zero face to face since March.

Pretty sure your manager friend will be working from home like many other sectors working hard from home. Not sure why your manager friend deserves hero status because he/ she has NHS on his/ her pay slip.

Nurses/doctors and staff actually on the frontline and at risk yes, the many NHS staff who aren’t no sorry they don’t deserve discounts or vaccines above other needy groups.

Last time we had loads of donations (left over Easter eggs and food venues couldn’t use etc) but this wave we can’t take any food donations as sharing food in the workplace has been shown to increase spread. I’ve not really seen any other discounts this time other than the usual blue light card stuff. Most private companies have incentive schemes - pre nhs I worked for a company with a 50% off arrangement for the local chain gym.

Maybe other areas have more nhs discounts than ours. We have Morrison’s for nhs and teachers then free parking for all key workers.

CAMHs have done zero face to face since March.

They work in a&e and do face to face with the crisis team and emergencies but otherwise it’s via virtual appointment like everything else.

I work 2 days a week in the private sector from home and 3 in the NHS as a frontline RN.

Guess which job gives the better discounts?

Most NHS discounts are 10% off oh and I can get a Costco card. Meanwhile I get free entrance to attractions, discounted hotel stays and 25% off most restaurant chains through my private sector job.

Discounts are - effectively - a marketing scheme, treated as part of the marketing spend, certainly for larger companies and also for many smaller ones. The NHS is a huge employer, so your marketing reaches a wider audience. Commercially, offering a discount makes sense. I have never seen this as a measure of someone “deserving” a discount, making that (highly subjective) judgement call just isn’t the role of a private business.

To the extent I have thought about it at all I am entirely unconcerned by people getting a discount, I think it’s quite nice. (FWIW I work for a private sector commercial firm so am never going to be eligible for discounts based on job - that’s fair enough. My firm employers fewer than 1,000 people so it would be poor marketing reach and I don’t do anything “deserving” or “worthy” so not even a good marketing story. I’m also supremely unbothered by getting 10% off somewhere like Morrison’s as to get that discount I would have to supermarket shop which I don’t choose to do).

Giving discount to NHS staff is just a way to show being grateful. It is not equivalent to not being thankful to all other key workers. Almost everyone suffers during pandemic and it’s ridiculous to complain about the kind gesture from the department stores who also take a hit from the pandemic.

The blue light card gives firemen the same discount as my DD. They turned up at a care home the other day stood in the porch and advised the low pay carer how to check for a fire (fire alarm continuous and home full of vulnerable disabled adults) because it was too unsafe to enter in case of Covid. So a fireman in full haz suit watched a woman in a plastic apron, gloves and mask run around a three storey house searching for the cause of the fire alarm...he gets discount and she doesn’t. Fair? no.

Because of course, standing in doorways is all firefighters do. It's not as if they ever put themselves in danger is it? What a ridiculous comment.

NHS and other services discounts have been going forever, other than the very recent supermarket ones. Nothing new. It's just a perk of the job, and a way for companies to drive customers towards them.

As for non patient facing roles other posters mention as somehow less deserving, I've been clinical and non clinical, and now I don't work in the NHS at all, so no personal axe to grind. My ex colleagues who are non patient facing are also playing a vital role in fighting covid, working much longer hours, redeploying staff whilst trying to keep a semblance of their own services running. Working days are incredibly long, leave has been minimal, and the pressure is constant. It's not the same as being frontline, but their contribution is absolutely vital and shouldn't be dismissed

Supermarket workers get discounts in the store they work in (more than 10%). Wasn’t there a thread recently about someone shopping for a relative wondering if she can use the employee discount card?

@N0Sl33p

CAMHs have done zero face to face since March.

Pretty sure your manager friend will be working from home like many other sectors working hard from home. Not sure why your manager friend deserves hero status because he/ she has NHS on his/ her pay slip.

Nurses/doctors and staff actually on the frontline and at risk yes, the many NHS staff who aren’t no sorry they don’t deserve discounts or vaccines above other needy groups.

The service has still been running, just because you don't see it it doesn't mean a lot of work isn't being done.

So because she's not on a ward she doesn't deserve to be considered "real" NHS how pathetically ungrateful. And no she hasn't always been working from home she's been ensuring vulnerable families continue to get support in a safe way. Without her people wouldn't be able able to access CAMHS at all. Who do you think runs everything, the fairies?

No not like everything else- schools, supermarkets....

And virtual means zero risk ie no need for hero status and money off codes.