NHS Worker Perks and Freebies During COVID-19

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a wide variety of businesses and organizations offered free products, discounts, and special services to National Health Service (NHS) staff, emergency service personnel, and care workers in the United Kingdom. These initiatives aimed to support frontline workers facing long hours and increased risk. The offers spanned numerous categories, including food and beverage, health and wellness, personal care, and professional services.

Food and Beverage Offers

Many restaurant chains, coffee shops, and food delivery services provided free items or significant discounts to NHS employees.

Coffee and Hot Drinks

Several major coffee chains offered complimentary beverages to NHS staff: * Starbucks: Initially offered free hot drinks to NHS, paramedic, and council workers, specifically providing free filtered coffee. Later, the offer transitioned to a 10 percent discount for Blue Light cardholders. * Caffè Nero: Provided free coffee, tea, or hot chocolates to NHS staff upon showing identification. * Pret A Manger: Offered free hot drinks and a 50 percent discount on all other items. * Gregg’s: Provided free hot drinks. * Black Sheep Coffee: Offered free coffee. * Grind: Provided free take-away coffees.

Restaurants and Takeaways

Numerous dining establishments offered discounts on food: * Leon: Offered a 50 percent discount and free food delivery to hospitals. * Yo! Sushi: Offered a 50 percent discount on food for NHS staff and emergency services workers. * TGI Fridays: Provided a 25 percent discount. * McDonald’s: Offered free drinks. * Burger King: Offered free drinks. * Domino’s: Provided free medium pizzas from selected branches on specific dates (e.g., March 20). * Nando’s: Offered a 20 percent discount. * Gourmet Burger Kitchen: Offered a 15 percent discount. * Polo Bar: Offered a 50 percent discount on all food and drink. * Carluccio’s: Offered a 50 percent discount and free hot takeaway drinks. * Itsu: Offered a 50 percent food discount and free hot drinks and miso soup. * Las Iguanas: Offered a 40 percent discount on takeaway food and a free can of coke. * The Athenian: Offered a 50 percent discount. * By Chloe: Offered a 50 percent discount, with specific delivery discounts applying until March 22. * The Lebanese Bakery: Offered a 50 percent discount, with specific delivery discounts applying until March 22. * Suum Vietnamese Kitchen: Offered a 20 percent discount on takeaways collected in person. * Café Rouge: Offered 5 percent cashback. * Caffè Nero: Offered 5 percent cashback (distinct from the free drink offer). * Heavenly Deserts: Offered a free drink. * PAUL: Offered free coffee and tea. * WH Smiths: Offered 20 percent off all food and drink.

Health, Wellness, and Personal Care

Support extended to products and services focused on health, hygiene, and mental well-being.

Beauty and Personal Care Products

Specific brands provided free samples or full-sized products: * L’Occitane: Provided free 30ml hand cream tubes. * Gillette: Provided free razors. * Ruby Cup: Offered free menstrual cups to health workers on the front lines, addressing the difficulty of managing periods during long shifts in protective clothing.

Mental Health and Wellness

Headspace: Provided a free subscription for meditation and mindfulness.

Medical Wear and Equipment

Various companies offered discounts on medical apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE): * Barco: Offered 20 percent off entire purchases using promo code NURSESWEEK or NW20OFF (valid until May 13, 2022). * Figs: Offered 20 percent off during a Nurses Week sale (May 5–12, 2022). * Jaanuu: Offered up to 70 percent off until May 12, 2022. * All Seasons Uniforms: Offered a 20 percent discount on medical apparel (scrubs, lab coats, etc.) using code NURSE20 during Nurse's Week. * Kiefer Uniforms: Offered 20 percent off uniforms in Allouez, WI. * Decors Interiors: Offered cotton masks for sale with an 18 percent discount code HERO18 for healthcare professionals. Due to high demand, there was a 9-week lead time, and the offer was limited to one mask per healthcare worker. * Black Kat Masks: Offered 20 percent off with code SHARM20. * Claire & Clara: Offered 15 percent off with code SHARM15.

Travel and Transportation

Services related to travel and transport were also discounted or subsidized: * Uber: Initially offered free rides and meals. Later, the offer included subsidised trips for NHS staff (25 percent discount, capped at £30 per journey) and free trips to vaccination hubs. * Hiyacar: Offered free car hire. * Government: Provided free car parking at hospitals.

Hospitality and Accommodation

Hotels and accommodation providers offered rooms and food discounts: * Black Ivy Hotel (Edinburgh): Offered free hotel rooms and a 50 percent discount on food and drinks. * Millennium Hotel (owned by Chelsea FC): Offered hotels for stays. * Exchange Hotel and Hotel Football (owned by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs): Offered hotels for stay. * The Butcher’s Hook Gastropub: Offered 20 percent off.

Entertainment and Lifestyle

Offers also covered entertainment and lifestyle products: * Tickets for Good: An organization that provided cheap or free tickets to comedy shows, theatre, concerts, and more. NHS staff could sign up using their NHS email address. * Japan Stationery: Offered 20 percent off Japanese stationery. * Rush: (Details of the specific offer were not provided in the source material).

Professional and Household Services

Several service-based businesses offered discounts to ease the burden on workers: * All Ironed Out: Offered a 30 percent discount on their ironing service. * Roundshills: Offered free doggy day-care (specific to the Ulverston town area).

Eligibility and Verification

Access to these offers generally required proof of status as an NHS worker, emergency services personnel, or care worker. Verification methods included: * Showing an NHS ID badge. * Signing up with an NHS email address (e.g., for Tickets for Good). * Using a Blue Light card (e.g., for the Starbucks discount). * Specific promo codes provided by the brands.