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NHS and care worker staff freebies & discounts
Food, shopping, wellbeing and more
Updated 31 May 2022
Many companies offer special discounts for NHS staff and healthcare workers (and some that emergency services personnel can get too). This guide lists the top deals available and how to get them, including 10% off at Asda, 20% off McDonald's and Nando's, up to 40% off breakdown cover and lots more.
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£5 Blue Light Card gives access to 1,000s of deals for NHS staff, care workers & more
One of the main ways to access discounts available to NHS and care workers is to sign up for a Blue Light Card, which costs £4.99 for two years' membership. You'll need your work ID or a recent payslip to prove you're eligible for the service (it can take five to seven days to be registered).
As well as NHS and care workers, it's also available to other emergency services such as the Fire Service, RNLI, Mountain Rescue, Red Cross and more – see below for the full list.
Blue Light Card says it offers 15,000+ high street and online discounts from large retailers and local businesses, covering fashion, days out, restaurants, holidays and more. You aren't able to see specific deals until after signing up, though we've included some in our list of deals below.
If you think you'll save more than a fiver in two years then it's worth signing up. See Blue Light Card FAQs for full information.
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Top NHS and careworker staff freebies & discounts
This is our list of top deals currently offered to NHS and care worker staff (and some for emergency services too). We've made it clear who's eligible for what, and whether you can get the deal just by showing work ID, or if you need a Blue Light Card.
NHS staff discounts tend to beat those offered to all, but sometimes retailers have short-lived promotions available to everyone that will save you more money, so before using an NHS discount, it's worth comparing other offers to make sure you're getting the best deal.
Used an NHS freebie or discount not featured here? Please email to let us know.
0 Current Deals
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OngoingAt most Bella Italia restaurants, customers who show a valid Blue Light Card code from 12pm Sunday to Thursday will get 25% off food.
To get the code, you need to hold a Blue Light Card, and generate the code from its website or via the app – you can't just show the card.
It's only valid on the total bill of tables of up to six. It can't be used with any other offers, vouchers, or set menus.It's valid at all Bella Italia restaurants, except Center Parcs locations.See all deals: Bella Italia (3 deals) -
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If you work for the NHS, you can get 20% off the entire menu at McDonald's once a week when ordering via the app for the rest of the year.
You'll just need to download the free McDonald's app (iOS/Android) and register for an account using your NHS email address. Once you've done this, you'll then be able to select the 20% discount offer within the deals section of the app.
See our Restaurants and vouchers page for other dining out deals.
See all deals: McDonald's (2 deals) -
If you work for the NHS, you can get 20% off food and drink orders up to £20 at Nando's (find your nearest).
If you're dining in, you'll just need to show a valid photocard ID when you order and you can use the discount once per day. If you're with a group and want to give others the discount too, you'll need to put everyone's meals on the same order, but remember the 20% off only works up to £20 – anything over that won't get the discount.
If you don't fancy dining in, you can get the 20% off if you order for collection, too – Peri nice! You'll just need to register online at Nando's and then apply the discount when you order. You'll need to verify your NHS email address every six months.
Check out our cheapy Nando's tips & hacks before you go.
See all deals: Nando's (2 deals) -
OngoingNHS staff can get 20% off their food bill at Frankie & Benny's (find your nearest) when dining in. Simply purchase at least two meals from the main, vegan, or gluten free menus, and show a valid ID card.
One ID card can be used for up to a group of six people, and the offer's available every day of the week, although there are some exclusions – see 'more info' below.
Browse our Restaurant deals and vouchers for more ways to save on a meal out.
See all deals: Frankie & Benny's (2 deals) -
OngoingAt most Yo! Sushi restaurants, customers who show a valid Blue Light Card code from Monday to Friday or on Sundays will get 20% off food.
To get the code, you need to hold a Blue Light Card, and generate the code from its website or via the app – you can't just show the card.
It's only valid on bills up to the value of £100. It excludes drinks and takeaways, and it can't be used with any other offers.It's valid at all Yo! Sushi restaurants except Heathrow T2 and T3.See all deals: Yo! Sushi (3 deals) -
NHS & emergency services staff can get 15% off at Leon (find your nearest) when showing their work ID at the till. If you'd like to order via a kiosk, ask staff for the special code.
You can't use it with any other discount, kids meals, or meal deals. See full T&Cs.
See all deals: Leon (1 deal)
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Emergency service workers and NHS staff who show a valid Blue Light Card at Starbucks can get a 10% discount off their total bill.
The offer's valid every day of the week and covers your whole group. It can't be used to purchase Starbucks gift cards. It costs £4.99 for a two-year Blue Light Card membership.
See all deals: Starbucks (1 deal) -
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If you work for the NHS, you can get up to 40% off selected AA breakdown cover.
You'll get a 40% discount on 'Roadside Assistance', 'National Recovery', 'Onward Travel' or 'At Home'. The AA says a minimum of 20% off applies to all other levels of cover. For example, when we checked, you could get basic 'Roadside Assistance' cover for £35ish (norm £64ish).
You can get the discount when paying by a continuous payment method, either monthly or annually.
Always compare breakdown cover policies to ensure you're getting the best price, and to be certain you're covered for everything you need. See our full cheap breakdown cover guide.
See all deals: Motoring (6 deals) -
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Green Flag is giving NHS workers (excluding volunteers) an extra 10% off new breakdown policies.
To get the discount, call it on 0345 246 2766 and tell it your NHS ID number. You can't get this offer online, though Green Flag says you'll be given its usual online discount (up to 40% off), plus the extra 10% off.
The discount excludes single trip or annual multi-trip European cover, and family cover policies. Green Flag says this offer is ongoing.
See all deals: Motoring (6 deals) -
JustPark is a service where you can find and reserve parking spaces at 45,000+ locations – including private driveways, spare offices spaces, commercial car parks etc – and NHS workers can get 10% off.
To get the discount, sign up at JustPark with your NHS email address (@nhs.co.uk), then search for a parking space near where you need to be. The discount will be applied automatically.
If you don't have an NHS email address, sign up in the same way and JustPark will send an email which you can reply to with proof that you're a critical care worker – JustPark will then update your account.
There is currently no end date for this offer.
See all deals: Motoring (6 deals)
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Asda (find your nearest) is offering 10% off in-store purchases (see 'More info' for exclusions) for NHS and emergency services staff on presentation of a Blue Light Card and ID.
It ran the offer earlier this year, and Blue Light Card says it's now back as of Fri 20 May. The deal is ongoing, but there's always a risk it could be pulled, so it's best to check you can use the discount before shopping. See Asda for full T&Cs.
A Blue Light Card membership costs £4.99 for two years, so it's worth checking to see if you'll save more than this using the offers available before signing up.
See all deals: Asda (7 deals) -
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If you're a new online customer to Iceland* and a Blue Light Card holder, you can get £6 off a £45+ spend online only. Delivery's free as you're spending over £40.
You'll need to log in to Blue Light Card online to claim a unique discount code, which you can then use at the checkout. This offer will only work once. A Blue Light Card costs £4.99 for two years, so if you're only using it for this offer you'd still save money.
If you're already an Iceland customer, you can still get a discount via your Blue Light Card, however it will be £2 off a £60 spend, so if you're not planning on taking up any other Blue Light Card offers it might not be worth it for you.
Important: If you amend your order, you will lose the code and pay the full amount, as the codes are single use only, so be sure to add everything you need before checking out.
The cost of carrier bags and adding electronic savings to your Bonus Card won't count towards the £45 or £60 spend, and in Scotland, purchases of alcohol don't count towards the minimum spend either. See Iceland's full terms and conditions*.
See all deals: Iceland (3 deals)
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Mindfulness and meditation app Headspace is offering free three-month Headspace Plus subscriptions to NHS staff who sign up using their NHS email account (see more info for which accounts are included). It's extended this offer until 31 Dec 2022.
If you've already signed up previously for a free three months, Headspace says you should be able to sign up again.
See all deals: Headspace (1 deal) -
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If you register online at Vodafone with your NHS email address, you'll receive a code for 25% off selected 12 or 24-month pay monthly phones, SIM only plans, or iPad/tablet plans. You'll also be able to extend the benefit to up to five of your friends and family. See full T&Cs for more information.
Important: Do check that the offer you sign up for is the most suitable, and cheapest offer for you. Don't take Vodafone's word for it that even with the 15% or 25% off it will be the best offer. See our Cheap Mobile Finder to compare deals before you buy.
See all deals: Vodafone (2 deals) -
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If you register online at EE with your NHS email address, or NHS photo ID card, you'll receive a code for 20% off selected 24-month pay monthly phone, SIM or broadband plans. You'll also be able to extend the benefit to up to four of your friends and family.
If you run out of data, this offer also gives you free unlimited data at a reduced speed of 2Mbps so you'll still be able to access the internet, albeit at a slower speed.
If your phone breaks, it also allows priority phone repair, which EE says will take up to seven days instead of the usual up to 14 days to repair. See EE help pages, or full T&Cs for more information.
Important: Do check that the offer you sign up for is the most suitable, and cheapest offer for you – don't take EE's word for it that even with the 20% off it will be the best offer. See our Cheap Mobile Finder to compare deals before you buy.
See all deals: EE (1 deal)
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NHS staff can get 10% off most items in-store at Pets at Home when showing NHS ID at the checkout. You can also get the discount in Companion Care and Vets4Pets vet surgeries.
You can't get the offer online or with any other discount. The 10% off won't work when buying pets, fish or plants, insurance products, health plans, and gift vouchers or cards. See full T&Cs.
See all deals: Pets at Home (1 deal) -
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If you're shopping online at JD Sports, you can get a unique code from Blue Light Card for 10% off most full-price or discounted items.
You can't use the discount on gift cards, plus some excluded items. See full T&Cs.
See all deals: NHS (3 deals) -
98 days leftIf you're shopping online at shopDisney, you can get a unique code from Blue Light Card for 10% off selected items until Mon 3 Oct. See full T&Cs.
You can't use it to buy Walt Disney Parks and Resorts tickets, Disney theatre tickets, Disney subscriptions, selected items & brands or delivery charges. See full list of exclusions.
See all deals: Disney Store (2 deals)
Uniform tax refund – reclaim £100s from up to five years of expenses
If you have to wash or repair your uniform yourself, you may be able to claim tax relief, which could be £100s. The standard flat-rate expense allowance for uniform maintenance is £60 – though many working in the NHS are entitled to more – see the table below.
Claim a uniform tax refund, and you'll get back the amount of tax you would otherwise have paid. For example, the flat-rate annual expense for ambulance staff is £185. So a basic-rate taxpayer gets 20% of £185 as a rebate – which is £37. Higher-rate taxpayers will get back £74.
In addition to their standard allowance (£125), nurses and midwives can also claim for shoes, socks and tights.
What’s more, you can reclaim from up to five tax years.
How much annual tax relief you can claim by occupation
| OCCUPATION | ALLOWANCE | BASIC-RATE TAXPAYER GETS | HIGHER-RATE GETS |
| Ambulance staff on active service |
£185 | £37 | £74 |
| Nurses, midwives, chiropodists, dental nurses, therapists, healthcare assistants, phlebotomists and radiographers |
£125, plus 12 shoes and 6 tights or stockings (where everyone is required to wear the same colour/style) | £25 | £50 |
| Plaster room orderlies, hospital porters, ward clerks, sterile supply workers, hospital domestics and hospital catering staff | £125 | £25 | £50 |
| Laboratory staff, pharmacists and pharmacy assistants | £80 | £16 | £32 |
| Uniformed ancillary staff – maintenance workers, grounds staff, drivers, parking attendants and security guards, receptionists and other uniformed staff | £80 | £16 | £32 |
See our FREE uniform tax refund guide for full information on eligibility and how to claim.
Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
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Free lateral flow tests in Wales extended until 31 July for people showing signs of Covid
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Free lateral flow tests in Wales will continue to be available for people showing Covid symptoms up until 30 July. -
Private parking charges to be halved to £50 - here are all the details
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Private car park operators in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer be able to set fines above £50 in the majority of circumstances, under new rules set out by the Government. -
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Time is running out to check down the back of your sofa for any soon-to-be-discontinued paper £20 and £50 notes. There are only 100 days left before they become invalid but the latest figures from the Bank of England show there are almost £15 billion-worth of notes still around. -
New Government-backed interest-free loan scheme to be rolled out across the UK from September – here’s how it works
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Barclays to shut a further 15 bank branches this year - check if yours is closing and what your options are
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