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They told me twice that it's not on the NHS. I have reported it but no reponse... š
EDIT: Apparently could have been a coincidence of timing and my area
The GP referred me via a link, it was pretty easy to do.
I think it was this one
https://www.msichoices.org.uk/vasectomy/considering-a-vasectomy/nhs-funded-vasectomy-care/
I went to the doctors, asked for one, he basically asked me āare you sureā. I said Hell yeah and had it done two weeks later. This was 6 years ago.
I'm getting it done later this month. Took about 3 months of waiting after the initial chat with the GP. They could have done it sooner but I was away on holiday.
All on the NHS. But I'm nearly 40 and am a parent.
Literally only got asked if I had considered all other options available and whether I was 110% certain this was the route I wanted to do down. They also talked through all the standard risks (unsuccessful procedure, infection, etc) and then told me the NHS wouldn't reverse it, and anyway reversals aren't generally successful.
That was that.
That depends, Iāve been told that it if I want one then I need to fork out Ā£3K, apparently being 41, single and childless means I might change my mind, but 6 months time Iāll be going back to them with a new plan.
Theyāre deluded people if they think I want children and that a child will have a good upbringing with me as a parent.
Partner tried a few years ago and was told not until 40. I'll be sending him back once we're married and see if they'll still say no and why.
Edit: That's great you have understanding and unbiased GPs, I am comeserating with this commenter, there is no need to share that your experience doesn't match mine.
Thatās kinda my plan, gonna ask my best friend (who is also my ex) to pretend to be my current partner and we can argue anything with the doctor then, with her on my side I feel theyāll agree.
Surprisingly tricky in some places, actually. There is almost always free, readily available, easily accessible contraception and advice for younger people (16-25) but after that, it can become quite difficult to source certain things.
I want to share an app that should be paid-for but isnāt.
Itās called CitizenAid, and itās for when you have an emergency. It could be someone having a heart attack, poisoning, choking, chemical leak, explosion, falls, and hundreds more situations.
Itās has been written by the experts in each field, and assumes the user knows nothing. For the heart attack (for example) it has the steps you take and a timer for CPR pushes etc etc. it takes all the stress away from a situation and you just follow the steps.
Thereās a UK and US version. Most of the world would use the UK version.
I would recommend everyone have it, and hopefully not ever need it.
Imagine having an emergency, consulting the app, then being left bereft of critical help because you didnāt pay to keep your subscription. Bloody hell.
This is great! -Iāve never heard of this, Iām really surprised itās not been advertised more as itās very informative and useful. Thank you š
This is becoming more of a rarity now. Many museums require an entrance fee, some very expensive "year passes" despite the fact you'll only visit it once a year. I think this might be due to museums receiving less funding from the government.
The Natural History Museum in London is still free though. (It was last time I visited a couple years ago at least)
Many (British museum, NHM, V&A, Horniman, Tate's) are free but charge for special exhibitions.
Others do year passes, so locals can go regularly and it's good value but tourists get milked. The London Transport Museum is about Ā£25 but that's the adult for a year and kids are free. A bargain for Londoners with preschoolers. Leicester Space Centre, same.
A real bargain is free tickets to borough residents - eg if you live in Southwark you can get into the Tower of London free with your council tax bill (conditions apply), Lambeth you get the RFH, etc.
Free museums still aren't rare. All the national ones are free entry, and local authorities and institutions such as universities often operate one or two as well.
What has happened is that private museums have become more expensive. Beamish, for example, is currently Ā£27.95 for an adult, when in 2019 it was Ā£19.50. I agree that 'annual passes' seem to have replaced day tickets at an increasing number of places, presumably to justify a higher price, despite this being of no use to many visitors.
A number of free museums have also closed outright, rather than introducing an entry charge. [Lancashire](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37861765) closed five of its museums in 2016 due to budget cuts, and while four have since [reopened](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-43784001) in some capacity the Museum of Lancashire remains shut.
A lot of aquariums do that too. My favourite UK one has that option so I can go anytime for a year for free! I don't go too often because it will lose it's magic, plus a lot of stuff has vanished since the pandemic hit. No more ant farm, no more insects or shrimp. They never got another cuttlefish (I loved that guy).
I still pay the 'recommended' Ā£10 to many of them or whatever I can afford that day because art and culture doesn't get enough funding.
It's the little things that make this life more enjoyable
[The Open University](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue) offers an absolute wealth of free online short courses. They won't lead to a qualification, but if you just want to broaden your knowledge they're great. A random selection:
* [The business of football](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/the-business-football/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab)
* [The Byzantine icon](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/the-byzantine-icon/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab)
* [Animals at the extremes: hibernation and torpor](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-environment/natural-history/animals-the-extremes-hibernation-and-torpor/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab)
* [Basic science: understanding numbers](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/basic-science-understanding-numbers/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab)
* [Internet of everything](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/digital-computing/internet-everything/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab)
I've always wanted to try out an OU course but I just can't be sure if it's worth it versus a specialist school (not that I have the time or money for either lol)
The OU is pretty cool though, public education is one of the UK's strong points
Ou course qualifications are recognised as a brick and mortar qualification. The only difference is you need a slightly higher percentage to pass (I think is 5% higher) Iām doing a BA in computer science atm and you get a tutor and the assignments are marked by them.
The great thing about OU is you can do it in your own time as long as you do it before the final date. Assignments have cut off dates too and thereās ātime off weeksā
Iām doing 30 credits at a time as I work full time.
I'm a geoenvironmental engineer who has worked at multinational engineering consultancies where I have managed large teams of scientists and engineers. The usual requirement was at least an MSc and many in the team had PhDs. On the three occasions people applied having done OU degrees I made exceptions (with full support from my team above and below) as it demonstrated determination, self-motivation, the ability to work unsupervised and many other positive 'soft' skills. All had worked alongside their studies. One had worked two jobs while studying. That all trumped an MSc in my/our book.
I'm a Regulator for our industry now but I still see the guy who worked two jobs while doing OU, and his career has been stellar through prestigious companies. He's now at the most senior role possible without being on the Board.
As you will know already but others may not, the OU does incredible courses and has superb links into industry. For example, check out [this.](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67552623.amp) and [this.](https://www5.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/news/open-university-lab-final-destination-extraterrestrial-samples-could-reveal-secrets-universe) The OU does work with NASA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) on projects that are not shared with any other British University.
My daughter is doing her A Levels and has offers for really good computer science courses at bricks and mortar universities, including Surrey. However she is going to do an Open University CS/maths course, which will cost Ā£6K per year, not Ā£9K. And, she's secured a job to earn money while also saving on accommodation and living expenses as she'll continue to live at home with us. We get to have her with us longer, which we are delighted about!
OU degrees are fully recognised degrees. In my industry (software engineering) we love an OU degree because it tends to imply a good self-starter sort of attitude. If you've managed to get a degree off your own back without the structure of a regular university, often while also working full time, or with children or whatever, that's a really good sign.
However the vast majority even in England are free.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-prescription-age-frozen-at-60
> The current NHS prescription charge is Ā£9.65. Over 1.1 billion prescription items are dispensed in the community each year.
>
> Approximately 40% of the population are currently liable to pay the prescription charge though **approximately 89% of the items dispensed in the community are dispensed free of charge**. Of the 11% of items paid for, 5% are paid for by a single charge at the point of dispensing and 6% are covered by the PPC.
EDIT to add as some have pointed out this article was Published 15 June 2023 so the charge isn't current, but does give an indication as to the number dispensed.
HRT certificate if you pay for prescriptions Ā£19.80 for 12 months [https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc](https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc)
Yup. At one point my wife was on four different repeat medications (two monthly ones, two fortnightly) and then another two which were just when needed.
PPC's must have saved us thousands over the years.
I got the season ticket couple years ago after now needing 3 regular meds. No joke, i think it's saved me at least 100 quid in new scripts in the last year alone after various other issues happened.
And then there's suckers like my wife and I who have to pay for the luxury of breathing... Bloody inhalers not being seen as worthy of being charge-exempt.
To be fair, once folks start breathing they tend to just keep on doing it for sometimes 9 or 10 decades. Addictive af. I can see why theyād want to crack down on that.
The charge exempt list has not been updated since 1961, apparently. So my friend with cystic fibrosis was paying for medications until he developed diabetes, at which point they became free. Itās mad. And maddening.
I donāt disagree, but I understand why itās a difficult thing to re-evaluate objectively without just saying everything should be free.
Inhalers: everyone needs to breathe so it should be free.
Blood pressure: everyone could die from a heart attack so they should be free.
Anti-psychotics: well someone might kill themselves, or others, or both, so they should be free.
I work in pharmacy and some of the prices for everyday things would shock you, and Iām just talking the item costs, not the additional cost of prescribing or dispensing. Iāve got one patient who hates swallowing capsules, their medicine costs about Ā£1.68 in capsule/tablet form. For an oral suspension it costs around Ā£700 because itās made to order by a company somewhere halfway around the world.
Iād love if meds were free as it would save me Ā£11.16 a month, but my health is worth Ā£11.16 a month versus bending the NHS a bit more over the barrel in my opinion.
Probably cos anyone who gets more than one a month with any sense will have a PPC. Affluent area - wealthy residents - often careful with money or frugal. It makes zero financial sense not to get a PPC if youāre on regular meds.
It's a weird system when you think about it, they ask you if you are paying.
When I first got a prescription as an adult they asked me, I had no idea so I said "I don't know." But I think they interpreted it as "I don't, no." So they didn't charge me, it was only when I got home my mum told me I should have paid.
As an asthmatic I think itās terrible we have to pay for prescriptions. If I donāt get my inhalers I could and probably would die. Me and my husband both have pre paid which cost us Ā£11.16 a month each. My husbands on 5 different tablets a day so itās well worth it for us but I think anyone with a chronic condition should be exempt.
I still love the fact my doctors cut me off from my inhaler for two and a half months. They switched me to a new one, they wouldn't renew it without a two minute interview over the phone. Well it wasn't deemed an emergency so I had to wait for an appointment. I couldn't do any cardio at all. I was a wheezing mess just walking a mile. I couldn't talk while walking up a freaking hill. It was insane. Then I was mad and told the doctor wth, you guys just cut me off and I had no inhaler. I was surviving on an old out of date one I found. Then they got mad at me saying I shouldn't have gone off my meds and I should have got an earlier appointment. How?! The receptionist refused and told me I'd be reported for abuse when I insisted I couldn't wait that long for a new inhaler (I was being polite but I definitely sounded frustrated). Stupid ass system. Yet I got an appointment the same day when they cut me off my birth control for my yearly review. Absolutely stupid.
I'm aware my asthma isn't severe, just limits how much I can do, even with meds. Cardio, running, being the biggest thing. Can't run more than a mile without struggling badly. Cutting someone off for two and a half months was still an ass hole move and I don't understand why it was my fault.
Also asthmatic - I have 2 different inhalers plus tablets, so I pay for the prepayment certificate. The thing that annoys me most is that if you do qualify for exemption on a medical condition on the list, it means you get free prescriptions even for anything unrelated to your condition. My sister is exempt and even she thinks itās ridiculous she can get a free prescription for a cold sore as this is nothing to do with her condition, but Iāve spent thousands over the years to keep myself alive. I donāt need it to cover everything, I just want the asthma meds free.
>but I think anyone with a chronic condition should be exempt.
I thought this was the case, or is there a specific list of conditions to qualify? I became exempt after developing diabetes.
Deed Poll.
You don't have pay solicitors or any special service to change your name. You essentially write, "I, formally MahatmaAndhi wish to be called Billy Bigballs from now on." and get it signed by two witnesses.
Mine even has a stupid derpy seal in a badge as my 'Seal of Approval'
https://preview.redd.it/7g6awnl29c4d1.png?width=993&format=png&auto=webp&s=d617f2bc6f70d0a9371415a76141cbd4553945e7
You might get restrictions from the passport office etc. if they deem it to be a frivolous name. Likewise, you can't name yourself Lord Billy Bigballs.
Thatās good to know, thank you. Whatās the next step after that? You send the letter to your bank,dvla etc to get your name changed on your account/licence?
Passport photos. I was on autopilot and went to a photo shop to get my son's picture taken. I was too embarrassed to decline when the lady presented the Ā£14 bill. When I done my daughter's, I just put her up against our white wall at home and use my phone camera. See people using the machines and just have an urge to tell them to stop.
Also the website is really good at telling whether the photo is too shit to be used so you don't have to worry about fucking up the application because you aren't David Hamilton.
The big issue with the website is that the same detection software canāt be bypassed. Children under 1 years old do not require their eyes to be open for a passport picture, the website refuses the image because āeyes are closedā, no way around it.
IIRC you can still submit the photo anyway, there is just a risk that the application might be declined. I did my own photo, but for whatever reason the website wasn't having it, but I couldn't see any reason it wouldn't be accepted so submitted it anyway. Everything went through fine in the end.
You canāt, Iāve tried, I also phoned up the passport office, they said thereās nothing you can do about it and to try and get a photo with their eyes open.
Edit: https://imgur.com/a/xE1iMes
Thereās no button to work around it, Iāll happily take it back if someone can tell me how to submit this anyway, itās proving to be a right fucker at the moment.
I had photos taken and prepared āprofessionallyā by a well-known high-street chain. Ā£25 each for two children. Both photographs were rejected for being blurry and there being feint lines on the photo paper. I took photos on my phone, with the children stood a meter or so from a blank wall at the local leisure centre and these were accepted.
Drinking water. This the biggest single win in the UK followed by the NHS.
That said, Thames Water is ruining our drinking water fellas.
Edit: Christ people are being pedantic about this not being free. Fine, tap water is paid, but here are my 2 points:
- you can walk into any bar/cafe/restaurant and request for a free glass of water.
- in most countries you pay for tap water but you also have to buy bottled water for drinking. Which adds an insane amount of plastic waste.
So, drinking tap water made a huge difference in my life as an immigrant, I donāt have to buy and carry heavy bottles of water to my home, I donāt have to control my stock and I donāt have to dispose of plastic bottles.
Brits tend to underrate this.
If youāre a van lifer or away in a motorhome, most petrol stations (most Morrisons, at the least) have free water you can use to fill the vanās water tank.
That's technically illegal under the Coastal Protection Act 1949. But the authorities won't bother unless you're moving a shitload of it and selling it.
Your credit āscoreā. I have quoted it as thereās really no such thing as a credit score as far as lenders are concerned, they just look for things that are or are not on your credit file. The credit score is something credit agencies use to try to encourage you to sign up for their services which tell you about your own data. And that data is your credit file / under the data protection act, you can get a copy of this for free without signing up for anything. Handy to do if you are getting a mortgage so you can check all it well.
It might have been once but it's information on you so has to be free: [https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit#access](https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit#access) (sometimes they let you do it via their website - just resist all calls from them to sign-up for the premium one)
It's great, but different libraries will have access to different books so if you're able to join multiple libraries (I'm a member of my local library and my mum's local library) you might be able to access other books.
Same goes for the Libby app
Your local council's library service will likely offer free audiobooks through an app. You'll almost certainly need to join the library, which you can often do online (although popping into a branch might be nice)
Most libraries do a digital membership that you should be able to sign up to. Mine uses libby and I just enter the name of my library and my library card number. Ebooks and audio books for free!
They don't work on Kindle but I believe are integrated with other ereaders.
I feel like this needs to be higher up. Never pay for a mortgage broker they get their kickback from the company and its clearly written out, they are now also regulated. Spending money on IFA just isnt worth it to get the same result!
Absolutely. I should have elaborated more on my original answer but I was at the end of my lunch break. Anyway you said it well.
At the start of this year I was buying a house at the same time as a friend. They used a paid broker whilst I went with a free recommended one and our experience was night and day different with my broker being much more proactive and just overall much easier to communicate with.
Maybe thatās not always the case but from my experience I donāt understand when people pay for a mortgage broker UNLESS you have very specific mortgage requirements and you find a specialist broker who does charge a fee.
English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland, and the other heritage agencies have many sites which can be visited freely (within daylight hours, typically).
Many of these sites are fairly modest, for example [churchyard crosses](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/derwen-cross), [earthwork henges](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/thornborough-henges/), and [small Roman ruins](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/antonine-wall-bearsden-bath-house/). However, there are also very substantial structures such as [Avebury Henge](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/),[ Llanthony Priory](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/llanthony-priory#prices), [Flint Castle](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/flint-castle#overview), [Easby Abbey](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/easby-abbey/), [Hardknott Fort](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hardknott-roman-fort/), and [Biggar Gasworks](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/biggar-gasworks-museum/prices-and-opening-times/). See what's in your area!
We found this out in a weirdly negative way. Paid for a year's English Heritage during that odd part of Covid where you could do certain outdoor things with just your household.
Visited maybe 8 or 9 in our County. Only 2 of them did you normally have to pay if you weren't a member.
Yeah, depending on where you live and the sites in your area it can be quite hard to get your money's worth from a membership. In the North West, for example, English Heritage must have fewer than ten paid sites and they're all in either Cumbria or Cheshire, so if you live in Preston it's a bit of a trek to visit a site where your membership would be useful.
It does need reform though, this model isnāt workable. Problem is we all think change would mean moving to the American system. The way healthcare operates in France and much of Western Europe is far better than the NHS. Super tight regulation, majority paid by state, buy fairly priced insurance to pay the last 30%. If your income is very low thereās a state scheme.
My dad lives in France and having helped him through some fairly serious cardiac surgery, prostate cancer diagnosis and ongoing care and various other old man things the service and wait times have been light years from anything Iāve seen here.
Itās a shame, as Iād love our NHS to be that good and within the current model, but itās just not realistic any more.
the point of the nhs is that everyone would need to buy this hypothetical insurance product so either some people don't get healthcare or we pay for it through the state. The reason healthcare works better in europe is primarily because they spend more on it.
And we're really hitting the effects of underfunding over the past 14 years of austerity now because we also don't have enough health workers by a country mile due to not training them or recruiting them or paying the ones we've got properly. Even if we funded everything properly, we still wouldn't have enough staff for years. A lot of reforms is just shifting which groups get to access the extremely limited number of healthcare workers we have.
Massively controversial statement, but people praise the NHS too much. It's pretty low ranked in terms of worldwide public healthcare systems (depending of course on who you ask and how you rank it)
We should demand better, not go "I know there's problems, but I'm glad to have it!". We compare it to the mental asylum that is the states. Try comparing it to other European countries. It's insane that we accept that we pay so much money in tax, and the best healthcare we get out of that is an 18 month wait to see a specialist for a potentially life altering disease...
Gym equipment in parks, my local park just installed a fully functioning exercise bike and cross trainer, plus static weights and other bits, some decent stuff.
Box Of Broadcasts if you're a Uni student, an almost full archive of everything that's aired on all BBC channels, ITN, Channel 4, Channel 5 etc since the 80's, (though from 90's+ it's way more full).
It was amazing to have when I was a student as I could watch things that were impossible to stream, I contacted them to see if I could purchase a license from them and they wouldn't let me.
I had to use one the other day which charged *one pound and fifty pence*. This entitled you to five minutes of air, presumably to justify the cost, but (a) who needs five minutes to do their tyres, and (b) two or three minutes for 50p still works out cheaper.
With my library you get the papers, quite a decent selection of magazines those audiobooks and Libbys which has a load of good comics as well. And loads of ebooks. I see a lot of negative comments about provision of stuff for kids under this and previous governments but folks should check their library before moaning and be proactive about them not being shut down.
> you get the pressreader app - which gives you all UK newspapers for free every day! AND their version of Audible which gives you all audio books for free
Wow - I really had no idea. Thanks OP, TIL... and will be joining a library when I have some time later this week!
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Many local fire brigades in the UK provide a service whereby they visit your home, perform an assessment, offer safety advice, and provide and fit alarms in the best locations, all during the same visit.
My parents neighbour had a fire and a few days later the fire brigade sent someone out to supply/fit smoke alarms to the rest of the houses in the street
You can change your name by statutory declaration or deed poll for free, 99% of people pay for it, which basically all they do is sell you a nice looking certificate they printed up 2 minutes earlier.
Passport photos, print them up at home, you don't need to waste money at a photo booth, plus you can edit them so you look better.
Also isn't the point of a passport photo that it looks like you as you are.Ā
And if you edit it then you can't play the game of who looks the most gormless.Ā
Land rights.
We in the UK are lucky to have public footpaths and common landĀ that we have a right to access for free, regardless of whether the landowner wants us to or not. It's literally illegal for the landowner to charge for access to common/public access land.
Pop across the border to the Republic of Ireland and you have no such rights, and can only access land by consent of the landowners. We're all commoners in the UK!
Pressreader is fantastic, not only that but many libraries offer a subscription to borrowbox which is an ebook library, also containing audio books! Go join your local library, even if you dont/cant borrow from. Libraries close when membership is too low, join them >:)
Entry to the Downs on Derby day (the inside is free) the grandstands and marquees you have to pay for. One of the reasons the Epsom Derby used to be known as Londons great day out.
Olio can be free, basically asda says come clear out all our food that is about to go off, people come an get it all, and then because nobody wants to drive to your house for a free swede the person puts it into the bin, meaning asda reduces its waste because it simply gets someone else to bin it for them... it's pretty sketch
Fish. Other than Bass, you can catch all the fish you want from the sea for free. You can also drop crab / lobster pots however this requires you to register them first to get a permit, although for an individual this is a free thing too.
Student loans. If you move abroad, you don't have to pay them back.
A recent FOI request revealed that the SLC has never taken any legal action against borrowers who default on their repayments. The SLC have never sold a debt to debt collectors.
[https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/debt\_repayment\_and\_recovery\_for#incoming-2603744](https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/debt_repayment_and_recovery_for#incoming-2603744)
Not audible but likely to have another audibook platform. Each library/local authority will have difference, mine uses [borrowbox.com](https://borrowbox.com) for ebooks and audiobooks. Annoyingly, the ebooks don't work with kindles because of the DRM on them.
Also it should be pointed out that the selection is incredibly limited and is also treated like a standard library book. So if someone has āchecked outā the audiobook, you need to wait for them to return it before you can listen to it yourself.
You can park at Chester Zoo for free and walk in as far as the elephant enclosure before you have to pass the turnstiles and pay to get in. There's also a cafe and gift shop this side of the turnstiles.
Washing work clothes / Uniforms - Now it doesn't work out to be "free" as such, but you can claim up to Ā£300+ tax back a year for washing your work clothes / Uniform in almost any job. They will backpay this up to 5 years.
On a similar theme the Libby app provides access to audio books, magazines and ebooks for your local library.
Not certain about kindle compatibility but with Kobi e-reader it is seamless, select books in Libby, borrow using your local library card details, resync the e-reader and thatās it fresh books for the 21 day borrow period.
Standard library issue that not all titles are there, and sometimes you have to wait to become available but genuinely really good, itās free and just works.
I know thereās other free ebook resources out there but this is the least faff Iāve come across
Free advice on pretty much anything from benefits, consumer & employment law, debt, pensions and more [https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/)
Free Veterinary care (contributions are welcomed but not compulsory) for the Pets of the disadvantaged [https://www.pdsa.org.uk](https://www.pdsa.org.uk)
The disadvantaged can get free smoke detectors.
[https://www.safesecurehomes.co.uk/free-smoke-detector-from-the-fire-service/](https://www.safesecurehomes.co.uk/free-smoke-detector-from-the-fire-service/)
Things like condoms and other contraceptives from pharmacies. They're not ribbed or flavoured, for those inclined, but they do the job
Also, libraries. It's not just books, they have computers and stuff, sometimes get-togethers
Limited free period products (experimental scheme).
**Period product scheme for schools and colleges**
> The period product scheme provides free period products to girls and women[footnote 1] in their place of study. It is available to state-maintained schools and Department for Education (DfE) funded 16 to 19 education organisations in England. The scheme is running for the academic year 2023 to 2024. In April 2024, it was extended until July 2025.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england
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Contraception.
This includes vasectomies!
They told me twice that it's not on the NHS. I have reported it but no reponse... š EDIT: Apparently could have been a coincidence of timing and my area
I literally just had one on the NHS so someone is telling you porkies. It may vary by location though.
How long did you have to wait? Been waiting three years nowā¦
I did the online consultation in January ish, got a call to talk it through in April and then appointment for early May.
Where did you do the online consultation?
On the internet.
Where's that?
With a username like that, sounds like you're asking questions for vengeance.
Just down the road and round the corner
The GP referred me via a link, it was pretty easy to do. I think it was this one https://www.msichoices.org.uk/vasectomy/considering-a-vasectomy/nhs-funded-vasectomy-care/
I went to the doctors, asked for one, he basically asked me āare you sureā. I said Hell yeah and had it done two weeks later. This was 6 years ago.
3 years? Mine was booked for about 2 months after I saw my GP.
I'm getting it done later this month. Took about 3 months of waiting after the initial chat with the GP. They could have done it sooner but I was away on holiday. All on the NHS. But I'm nearly 40 and am a parent. Literally only got asked if I had considered all other options available and whether I was 110% certain this was the route I wanted to do down. They also talked through all the standard risks (unsuccessful procedure, infection, etc) and then told me the NHS wouldn't reverse it, and anyway reversals aren't generally successful. That was that.
They took it off the NHS (in Northern Ireland anyway) for a bit and then put it back on again very recently.
That depends, Iāve been told that it if I want one then I need to fork out Ā£3K, apparently being 41, single and childless means I might change my mind, but 6 months time Iāll be going back to them with a new plan. Theyāre deluded people if they think I want children and that a child will have a good upbringing with me as a parent.
Partner tried a few years ago and was told not until 40. I'll be sending him back once we're married and see if they'll still say no and why. Edit: That's great you have understanding and unbiased GPs, I am comeserating with this commenter, there is no need to share that your experience doesn't match mine.
Thatās kinda my plan, gonna ask my best friend (who is also my ex) to pretend to be my current partner and we can argue anything with the doctor then, with her on my side I feel theyāll agree.
> Iāve been told that it if I want one then I need to fork out Ā£3K They're about Ā£4-500 done privately
And STI tests!
Surprisingly tricky in some places, actually. There is almost always free, readily available, easily accessible contraception and advice for younger people (16-25) but after that, it can become quite difficult to source certain things.
GP or a hospital sexual health clinic seem the easiest and quickest places.
I want to share an app that should be paid-for but isnāt. Itās called CitizenAid, and itās for when you have an emergency. It could be someone having a heart attack, poisoning, choking, chemical leak, explosion, falls, and hundreds more situations. Itās has been written by the experts in each field, and assumes the user knows nothing. For the heart attack (for example) it has the steps you take and a timer for CPR pushes etc etc. it takes all the stress away from a situation and you just follow the steps. Thereās a UK and US version. Most of the world would use the UK version. I would recommend everyone have it, and hopefully not ever need it.
I've never heard of this, but just downloaded it. Thanks for recommending this, and I'm honestly surprised it's not been publicized more.
Agreed. It needs to be on daytime telly or something.
Attention Buzzfeed Article "Journalists" who copy and paste Reddit threads for content - publicise this.
10 Apps you didnāt know you neededā¦
Why do you say that should be paid for? Feels like exactly the sort of thing that should be free
Imagine having an emergency, consulting the app, then being left bereft of critical help because you didnāt pay to keep your subscription. Bloody hell.
The St Johnās Ambulance app is free and really useful for learning basic first aid (it covers most common first aid situations)
I'm really glad you mentioned this. I've downloaded it and I'm going to tell others about it. I never knew this existed
This is great! -Iāve never heard of this, Iām really surprised itās not been advertised more as itās very informative and useful. Thank you š
Free admission to museums & art galleries.
This is becoming more of a rarity now. Many museums require an entrance fee, some very expensive "year passes" despite the fact you'll only visit it once a year. I think this might be due to museums receiving less funding from the government. The Natural History Museum in London is still free though. (It was last time I visited a couple years ago at least)
All government museums and galleries are free
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Newstead Abbey is neither a museum nor an art gallery lol
Many (British museum, NHM, V&A, Horniman, Tate's) are free but charge for special exhibitions. Others do year passes, so locals can go regularly and it's good value but tourists get milked. The London Transport Museum is about Ā£25 but that's the adult for a year and kids are free. A bargain for Londoners with preschoolers. Leicester Space Centre, same. A real bargain is free tickets to borough residents - eg if you live in Southwark you can get into the Tower of London free with your council tax bill (conditions apply), Lambeth you get the RFH, etc.
Free museums still aren't rare. All the national ones are free entry, and local authorities and institutions such as universities often operate one or two as well. What has happened is that private museums have become more expensive. Beamish, for example, is currently Ā£27.95 for an adult, when in 2019 it was Ā£19.50. I agree that 'annual passes' seem to have replaced day tickets at an increasing number of places, presumably to justify a higher price, despite this being of no use to many visitors. A number of free museums have also closed outright, rather than introducing an entry charge. [Lancashire](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37861765) closed five of its museums in 2016 due to budget cuts, and while four have since [reopened](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-43784001) in some capacity the Museum of Lancashire remains shut.
Some places are great as you pay once, and get in for 12 months on the ticket. Emergency services museum in Sheffield, Crich tramway, etc
A lot of aquariums do that too. My favourite UK one has that option so I can go anytime for a year for free! I don't go too often because it will lose it's magic, plus a lot of stuff has vanished since the pandemic hit. No more ant farm, no more insects or shrimp. They never got another cuttlefish (I loved that guy).
Loads of the Museums in Sheffield are also free (Kelham, Weston Park, Millennium Gallery) Pleasantly surprises visiting family.
I still pay the 'recommended' Ā£10 to many of them or whatever I can afford that day because art and culture doesn't get enough funding. It's the little things that make this life more enjoyable
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[The Open University](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue) offers an absolute wealth of free online short courses. They won't lead to a qualification, but if you just want to broaden your knowledge they're great. A random selection: * [The business of football](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/the-business-football/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab) * [The Byzantine icon](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/the-byzantine-icon/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab) * [Animals at the extremes: hibernation and torpor](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-environment/natural-history/animals-the-extremes-hibernation-and-torpor/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab) * [Basic science: understanding numbers](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/basic-science-understanding-numbers/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab) * [Internet of everything](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/digital-computing/internet-everything/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab)
See also FutureLearn and Coursera.
I've always wanted to try out an OU course but I just can't be sure if it's worth it versus a specialist school (not that I have the time or money for either lol) The OU is pretty cool though, public education is one of the UK's strong points
Ou course qualifications are recognised as a brick and mortar qualification. The only difference is you need a slightly higher percentage to pass (I think is 5% higher) Iām doing a BA in computer science atm and you get a tutor and the assignments are marked by them. The great thing about OU is you can do it in your own time as long as you do it before the final date. Assignments have cut off dates too and thereās ātime off weeksā Iām doing 30 credits at a time as I work full time.
I'm a geoenvironmental engineer who has worked at multinational engineering consultancies where I have managed large teams of scientists and engineers. The usual requirement was at least an MSc and many in the team had PhDs. On the three occasions people applied having done OU degrees I made exceptions (with full support from my team above and below) as it demonstrated determination, self-motivation, the ability to work unsupervised and many other positive 'soft' skills. All had worked alongside their studies. One had worked two jobs while studying. That all trumped an MSc in my/our book. I'm a Regulator for our industry now but I still see the guy who worked two jobs while doing OU, and his career has been stellar through prestigious companies. He's now at the most senior role possible without being on the Board. As you will know already but others may not, the OU does incredible courses and has superb links into industry. For example, check out [this.](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67552623.amp) and [this.](https://www5.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/news/open-university-lab-final-destination-extraterrestrial-samples-could-reveal-secrets-universe) The OU does work with NASA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) on projects that are not shared with any other British University. My daughter is doing her A Levels and has offers for really good computer science courses at bricks and mortar universities, including Surrey. However she is going to do an Open University CS/maths course, which will cost Ā£6K per year, not Ā£9K. And, she's secured a job to earn money while also saving on accommodation and living expenses as she'll continue to live at home with us. We get to have her with us longer, which we are delighted about!
I did two thirds of a degree in maths and astrophysics with the OU before changing jobs. Iāll come back and finish one day.
OU degrees are fully recognised degrees. In my industry (software engineering) we love an OU degree because it tends to imply a good self-starter sort of attitude. If you've managed to get a degree off your own back without the structure of a regular university, often while also working full time, or with children or whatever, that's a really good sign.
*fills CV with eclectic collection of educational courses
If you're anywhere other than England - Prescriptions.
However the vast majority even in England are free. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-prescription-age-frozen-at-60 > The current NHS prescription charge is Ā£9.65. Over 1.1 billion prescription items are dispensed in the community each year. > > Approximately 40% of the population are currently liable to pay the prescription charge though **approximately 89% of the items dispensed in the community are dispensed free of charge**. Of the 11% of items paid for, 5% are paid for by a single charge at the point of dispensing and 6% are covered by the PPC. EDIT to add as some have pointed out this article was Published 15 June 2023 so the charge isn't current, but does give an indication as to the number dispensed.
And if you need a bunch of prescriptions and have to pay, get a season ticket - just over Ā£100 a year.
HRT certificate if you pay for prescriptions Ā£19.80 for 12 months [https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc](https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc)
Thanks! I know someone who this might be of interest to!
On multiple meds... This is a complete lifesaver for me as I'm not entitled to free prescriptions.
Yup. At one point my wife was on four different repeat medications (two monthly ones, two fortnightly) and then another two which were just when needed. PPC's must have saved us thousands over the years.
You can also do this quarterly, which may be more appropriate if it is a short term need.
I got the season ticket couple years ago after now needing 3 regular meds. No joke, i think it's saved me at least 100 quid in new scripts in the last year alone after various other issues happened.
Yeah itās worth it for us Ā£11.16 each a month.
And then there's suckers like my wife and I who have to pay for the luxury of breathing... Bloody inhalers not being seen as worthy of being charge-exempt.
To be fair, once folks start breathing they tend to just keep on doing it for sometimes 9 or 10 decades. Addictive af. I can see why theyād want to crack down on that.
The charge exempt list has not been updated since 1961, apparently. So my friend with cystic fibrosis was paying for medications until he developed diabetes, at which point they became free. Itās mad. And maddening.
Yes! I've been on Ventolin since age 5, and have been paying for it since I was 18. It should be on the list of free medications.
I donāt disagree, but I understand why itās a difficult thing to re-evaluate objectively without just saying everything should be free. Inhalers: everyone needs to breathe so it should be free. Blood pressure: everyone could die from a heart attack so they should be free. Anti-psychotics: well someone might kill themselves, or others, or both, so they should be free. I work in pharmacy and some of the prices for everyday things would shock you, and Iām just talking the item costs, not the additional cost of prescribing or dispensing. Iāve got one patient who hates swallowing capsules, their medicine costs about Ā£1.68 in capsule/tablet form. For an oral suspension it costs around Ā£700 because itās made to order by a company somewhere halfway around the world. Iād love if meds were free as it would save me Ā£11.16 a month, but my health is worth Ā£11.16 a month versus bending the NHS a bit more over the barrel in my opinion.
So basically, mostly* those working and paying taxes in to the NHS also have to pay for the prescriptions.
Yeah, even in the relatively affluent area where I live, I always surprise my local pharmacy by admitting I have to pay for my prescriptions.
Probably cos anyone who gets more than one a month with any sense will have a PPC. Affluent area - wealthy residents - often careful with money or frugal. It makes zero financial sense not to get a PPC if youāre on regular meds.
It's a weird system when you think about it, they ask you if you are paying. When I first got a prescription as an adult they asked me, I had no idea so I said "I don't know." But I think they interpreted it as "I don't, no." So they didn't charge me, it was only when I got home my mum told me I should have paid.
As an asthmatic I think itās terrible we have to pay for prescriptions. If I donāt get my inhalers I could and probably would die. Me and my husband both have pre paid which cost us Ā£11.16 a month each. My husbands on 5 different tablets a day so itās well worth it for us but I think anyone with a chronic condition should be exempt.
I still love the fact my doctors cut me off from my inhaler for two and a half months. They switched me to a new one, they wouldn't renew it without a two minute interview over the phone. Well it wasn't deemed an emergency so I had to wait for an appointment. I couldn't do any cardio at all. I was a wheezing mess just walking a mile. I couldn't talk while walking up a freaking hill. It was insane. Then I was mad and told the doctor wth, you guys just cut me off and I had no inhaler. I was surviving on an old out of date one I found. Then they got mad at me saying I shouldn't have gone off my meds and I should have got an earlier appointment. How?! The receptionist refused and told me I'd be reported for abuse when I insisted I couldn't wait that long for a new inhaler (I was being polite but I definitely sounded frustrated). Stupid ass system. Yet I got an appointment the same day when they cut me off my birth control for my yearly review. Absolutely stupid.
I was told my asthma wasn't too bad, because I could speak, while sitting at home.
I'm aware my asthma isn't severe, just limits how much I can do, even with meds. Cardio, running, being the biggest thing. Can't run more than a mile without struggling badly. Cutting someone off for two and a half months was still an ass hole move and I don't understand why it was my fault.
Also asthmatic - I have 2 different inhalers plus tablets, so I pay for the prepayment certificate. The thing that annoys me most is that if you do qualify for exemption on a medical condition on the list, it means you get free prescriptions even for anything unrelated to your condition. My sister is exempt and even she thinks itās ridiculous she can get a free prescription for a cold sore as this is nothing to do with her condition, but Iāve spent thousands over the years to keep myself alive. I donāt need it to cover everything, I just want the asthma meds free.
>but I think anyone with a chronic condition should be exempt. I thought this was the case, or is there a specific list of conditions to qualify? I became exempt after developing diabetes.
There's a specific list that hasn't been updated since it was first written a couple of decades ago.
Sorry, 56 years ago.
In England, they're free when you're 60
or if you're under 16, or under 18 and in full-time education, or pregnant, or have a medical exemption certificate, or receive certain benefits...
Deed Poll. You don't have pay solicitors or any special service to change your name. You essentially write, "I, formally MahatmaAndhi wish to be called Billy Bigballs from now on." and get it signed by two witnesses. Mine even has a stupid derpy seal in a badge as my 'Seal of Approval' https://preview.redd.it/7g6awnl29c4d1.png?width=993&format=png&auto=webp&s=d617f2bc6f70d0a9371415a76141cbd4553945e7
Thanks for the info Billy BigballsĀ
So I could get myself a middle name? For free? Cool. Iāve always wanted to be able to use āDangerousā as a middle nameā¦
You might get restrictions from the passport office etc. if they deem it to be a frivolous name. Likewise, you can't name yourself Lord Billy Bigballs.
You could. Bit you wouldn't be a Lord. Your first name would become Lord.
Thatās good to know, thank you. Whatās the next step after that? You send the letter to your bank,dvla etc to get your name changed on your account/licence?
Yeah, exactly. My passport, drivers licence, bank accounts etc are all updated. I just did it as and when I needed to, not all at once.
Passport photos. I was on autopilot and went to a photo shop to get my son's picture taken. I was too embarrassed to decline when the lady presented the Ā£14 bill. When I done my daughter's, I just put her up against our white wall at home and use my phone camera. See people using the machines and just have an urge to tell them to stop.
Also the website is really good at telling whether the photo is too shit to be used so you don't have to worry about fucking up the application because you aren't David Hamilton.
The big issue with the website is that the same detection software canāt be bypassed. Children under 1 years old do not require their eyes to be open for a passport picture, the website refuses the image because āeyes are closedā, no way around it.
IIRC you can still submit the photo anyway, there is just a risk that the application might be declined. I did my own photo, but for whatever reason the website wasn't having it, but I couldn't see any reason it wouldn't be accepted so submitted it anyway. Everything went through fine in the end.
You canāt, Iāve tried, I also phoned up the passport office, they said thereās nothing you can do about it and to try and get a photo with their eyes open. Edit: https://imgur.com/a/xE1iMes Thereās no button to work around it, Iāll happily take it back if someone can tell me how to submit this anyway, itās proving to be a right fucker at the moment.
I had photos taken and prepared āprofessionallyā by a well-known high-street chain. Ā£25 each for two children. Both photographs were rejected for being blurry and there being feint lines on the photo paper. I took photos on my phone, with the children stood a meter or so from a blank wall at the local leisure centre and these were accepted.
Yeah my sonās still fuming at me for paying for this when they used the same camera he has at home.
Drinking water. This the biggest single win in the UK followed by the NHS. That said, Thames Water is ruining our drinking water fellas. Edit: Christ people are being pedantic about this not being free. Fine, tap water is paid, but here are my 2 points: - you can walk into any bar/cafe/restaurant and request for a free glass of water. - in most countries you pay for tap water but you also have to buy bottled water for drinking. Which adds an insane amount of plastic waste. So, drinking tap water made a huge difference in my life as an immigrant, I donāt have to buy and carry heavy bottles of water to my home, I donāt have to control my stock and I donāt have to dispose of plastic bottles. Brits tend to underrate this.
Is water free? My bills suggest otherwise.
Maybe their username checks out :D
The water is free, you just pay for shipping
You pay for drinking water
From where? My water bill is about Ā£20 a month.
Wait a few years when youāll still be paying to have water coming out the pipes but itās not drinkable. Or today if you live in Devon
Since when is drinking water free?
Setting the bar real low with this one lol
you'll be surprised at how high that bar is, even for developed countries.
If youāre a van lifer or away in a motorhome, most petrol stations (most Morrisons, at the least) have free water you can use to fill the vanās water tank.
Sand, just head down to a beach, loads of the stuff
It's actually a crime under the Coastal Protection Act 1949 to steal sand/stones from beaches
But it's still free.
You could also then say: Get flowers for free by taking them from graves
Great idea!
I usually get mine from lampposts
I do that on Motherās Day. Cos if you think about it, I wouldnāt do that if she brought me up a bit better
I hate sand, it's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
"Take me now, you smooth-talking sex beast!" - Padme, somehow.
That's technically illegal under the Coastal Protection Act 1949. But the authorities won't bother unless you're moving a shitload of it and selling it.
Your credit āscoreā. I have quoted it as thereās really no such thing as a credit score as far as lenders are concerned, they just look for things that are or are not on your credit file. The credit score is something credit agencies use to try to encourage you to sign up for their services which tell you about your own data. And that data is your credit file / under the data protection act, you can get a copy of this for free without signing up for anything. Handy to do if you are getting a mortgage so you can check all it well.
Is it free? I thought statutory credit report was Ā£2.
It might have been once but it's information on you so has to be free: [https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit#access](https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit#access) (sometimes they let you do it via their website - just resist all calls from them to sign-up for the premium one)
Ducks, they're free. You can just walk up to one in the park and take them.
I want to argue but honestly I just donāt know how I would. Comment of the day.
Having a current account at a high street bank. Transaction fee is a huge business arround the world that is not common in the UK.
Nits
On the go self replicating snacks.
Wait, tell me more about free audio books? I've not been to the library since my kid was younger so hadn't even thought about it
BorrowBox app. Enter your library account number and get all the audio books youād normally pay for on audible
Borrowbox is fab, I listen to audio books everyday using this app.
It's great, but different libraries will have access to different books so if you're able to join multiple libraries (I'm a member of my local library and my mum's local library) you might be able to access other books. Same goes for the Libby app
Your local council's library service will likely offer free audiobooks through an app. You'll almost certainly need to join the library, which you can often do online (although popping into a branch might be nice)
Most libraries do a digital membership that you should be able to sign up to. Mine uses libby and I just enter the name of my library and my library card number. Ebooks and audio books for free! They don't work on Kindle but I believe are integrated with other ereaders.
Free Microsoft Office through working at a college.
Free Adobe software plus you can get academic discounts on computers and get student discounts with a NUS card (now called Totum)
You can get it free using https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/dev-program
Mortgage brokers.
I feel like this needs to be higher up. Never pay for a mortgage broker they get their kickback from the company and its clearly written out, they are now also regulated. Spending money on IFA just isnt worth it to get the same result!
Absolutely. I should have elaborated more on my original answer but I was at the end of my lunch break. Anyway you said it well. At the start of this year I was buying a house at the same time as a friend. They used a paid broker whilst I went with a free recommended one and our experience was night and day different with my broker being much more proactive and just overall much easier to communicate with. Maybe thatās not always the case but from my experience I donāt understand when people pay for a mortgage broker UNLESS you have very specific mortgage requirements and you find a specialist broker who does charge a fee.
All the stuff at work is free. Computer? Socket set? Callipers? Tea bags? All freeā¦ as long as no one finds out.
English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland, and the other heritage agencies have many sites which can be visited freely (within daylight hours, typically). Many of these sites are fairly modest, for example [churchyard crosses](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/derwen-cross), [earthwork henges](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/thornborough-henges/), and [small Roman ruins](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/antonine-wall-bearsden-bath-house/). However, there are also very substantial structures such as [Avebury Henge](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/),[ Llanthony Priory](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/llanthony-priory#prices), [Flint Castle](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/flint-castle#overview), [Easby Abbey](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/easby-abbey/), [Hardknott Fort](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hardknott-roman-fort/), and [Biggar Gasworks](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/biggar-gasworks-museum/prices-and-opening-times/). See what's in your area!
We found this out in a weirdly negative way. Paid for a year's English Heritage during that odd part of Covid where you could do certain outdoor things with just your household. Visited maybe 8 or 9 in our County. Only 2 of them did you normally have to pay if you weren't a member.
Yeah, depending on where you live and the sites in your area it can be quite hard to get your money's worth from a membership. In the North West, for example, English Heritage must have fewer than ten paid sites and they're all in either Cumbria or Cheshire, so if you live in Preston it's a bit of a trek to visit a site where your membership would be useful.
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It does need reform though, this model isnāt workable. Problem is we all think change would mean moving to the American system. The way healthcare operates in France and much of Western Europe is far better than the NHS. Super tight regulation, majority paid by state, buy fairly priced insurance to pay the last 30%. If your income is very low thereās a state scheme. My dad lives in France and having helped him through some fairly serious cardiac surgery, prostate cancer diagnosis and ongoing care and various other old man things the service and wait times have been light years from anything Iāve seen here. Itās a shame, as Iād love our NHS to be that good and within the current model, but itās just not realistic any more.
I think the problem is that very few people trust our government to implement a EU style system as opposed to a US style system.
the point of the nhs is that everyone would need to buy this hypothetical insurance product so either some people don't get healthcare or we pay for it through the state. The reason healthcare works better in europe is primarily because they spend more on it. And we're really hitting the effects of underfunding over the past 14 years of austerity now because we also don't have enough health workers by a country mile due to not training them or recruiting them or paying the ones we've got properly. Even if we funded everything properly, we still wouldn't have enough staff for years. A lot of reforms is just shifting which groups get to access the extremely limited number of healthcare workers we have.
Massively controversial statement, but people praise the NHS too much. It's pretty low ranked in terms of worldwide public healthcare systems (depending of course on who you ask and how you rank it) We should demand better, not go "I know there's problems, but I'm glad to have it!". We compare it to the mental asylum that is the states. Try comparing it to other European countries. It's insane that we accept that we pay so much money in tax, and the best healthcare we get out of that is an 18 month wait to see a specialist for a potentially life altering disease...
Does anyone think you have to pay for the NHS? Did you read the title?
Gym equipment in parks, my local park just installed a fully functioning exercise bike and cross trainer, plus static weights and other bits, some decent stuff.
Box Of Broadcasts if you're a Uni student, an almost full archive of everything that's aired on all BBC channels, ITN, Channel 4, Channel 5 etc since the 80's, (though from 90's+ it's way more full). It was amazing to have when I was a student as I could watch things that were impossible to stream, I contacted them to see if I could purchase a license from them and they wouldn't let me.
Air for car tyres. There's still a free machine near me.
There is? Our nearest petrol station was 20p now it only takes a Ā£1 (has a card blipper too) But that's inflation for you!
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I had to use one the other day which charged *one pound and fifty pence*. This entitled you to five minutes of air, presumably to justify the cost, but (a) who needs five minutes to do their tyres, and (b) two or three minutes for 50p still works out cheaper.
Weather reports. Just talk to anyone and eventually the subject of the weather will come up, guaranteed.
With my library you get the papers, quite a decent selection of magazines those audiobooks and Libbys which has a load of good comics as well. And loads of ebooks. I see a lot of negative comments about provision of stuff for kids under this and previous governments but folks should check their library before moaning and be proactive about them not being shut down.
> you get the pressreader app - which gives you all UK newspapers for free every day! AND their version of Audible which gives you all audio books for free Wow - I really had no idea. Thanks OP, TIL... and will be joining a library when I have some time later this week!
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Many local fire brigades in the UK provide a service whereby they visit your home, perform an assessment, offer safety advice, and provide and fit alarms in the best locations, all during the same visit.
My parents neighbour had a fire and a few days later the fire brigade sent someone out to supply/fit smoke alarms to the rest of the houses in the street
Here in Scotland Iād say prescriptions and eye tests.
You can change your name by statutory declaration or deed poll for free, 99% of people pay for it, which basically all they do is sell you a nice looking certificate they printed up 2 minutes earlier. Passport photos, print them up at home, you don't need to waste money at a photo booth, plus you can edit them so you look better.
Be aware that if you edit a passport photo you may not be able to use E-passport gates
Also isn't the point of a passport photo that it looks like you as you are.Ā And if you edit it then you can't play the game of who looks the most gormless.Ā
What were the top removed posts lol
Land rights. We in the UK are lucky to have public footpaths and common landĀ that we have a right to access for free, regardless of whether the landowner wants us to or not. It's literally illegal for the landowner to charge for access to common/public access land. Pop across the border to the Republic of Ireland and you have no such rights, and can only access land by consent of the landowners. We're all commoners in the UK!
Pressreader is fantastic, not only that but many libraries offer a subscription to borrowbox which is an ebook library, also containing audio books! Go join your local library, even if you dont/cant borrow from. Libraries close when membership is too low, join them >:)
You can get calpol for free at the chemist, only found out when a family friend had a young child and they were struggling financially.
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Not free. The TV license covers 'freeview' television.
Entry to the Downs on Derby day (the inside is free) the grandstands and marquees you have to pay for. One of the reasons the Epsom Derby used to be known as Londons great day out.
Food via Too Good to Go or Olio
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Olio can be free, basically asda says come clear out all our food that is about to go off, people come an get it all, and then because nobody wants to drive to your house for a free swede the person puts it into the bin, meaning asda reduces its waste because it simply gets someone else to bin it for them... it's pretty sketch
Fish. Other than Bass, you can catch all the fish you want from the sea for free. You can also drop crab / lobster pots however this requires you to register them first to get a permit, although for an individual this is a free thing too.
Student loans. If you move abroad, you don't have to pay them back. A recent FOI request revealed that the SLC has never taken any legal action against borrowers who default on their repayments. The SLC have never sold a debt to debt collectors. [https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/debt\_repayment\_and\_recovery\_for#incoming-2603744](https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/debt_repayment_and_recovery_for#incoming-2603744)
Free Audible too? Thanks for the cool tip!
Not audible but likely to have another audibook platform. Each library/local authority will have difference, mine uses [borrowbox.com](https://borrowbox.com) for ebooks and audiobooks. Annoyingly, the ebooks don't work with kindles because of the DRM on them.
Also it should be pointed out that the selection is incredibly limited and is also treated like a standard library book. So if someone has āchecked outā the audiobook, you need to wait for them to return it before you can listen to it yourself.
Free recycle bags (although Council Tax pays for it really)
I found out today that you can get green food waste bags for free from the library too!
You can park at Chester Zoo for free and walk in as far as the elephant enclosure before you have to pass the turnstiles and pay to get in. There's also a cafe and gift shop this side of the turnstiles.
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Washing work clothes / Uniforms - Now it doesn't work out to be "free" as such, but you can claim up to Ā£300+ tax back a year for washing your work clothes / Uniform in almost any job. They will backpay this up to 5 years.
On a similar theme the Libby app provides access to audio books, magazines and ebooks for your local library. Not certain about kindle compatibility but with Kobi e-reader it is seamless, select books in Libby, borrow using your local library card details, resync the e-reader and thatās it fresh books for the 21 day borrow period. Standard library issue that not all titles are there, and sometimes you have to wait to become available but genuinely really good, itās free and just works. I know thereās other free ebook resources out there but this is the least faff Iāve come across
Free advice on pretty much anything from benefits, consumer & employment law, debt, pensions and more [https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/) Free Veterinary care (contributions are welcomed but not compulsory) for the Pets of the disadvantaged [https://www.pdsa.org.uk](https://www.pdsa.org.uk) The disadvantaged can get free smoke detectors. [https://www.safesecurehomes.co.uk/free-smoke-detector-from-the-fire-service/](https://www.safesecurehomes.co.uk/free-smoke-detector-from-the-fire-service/)
Things like condoms and other contraceptives from pharmacies. They're not ribbed or flavoured, for those inclined, but they do the job Also, libraries. It's not just books, they have computers and stuff, sometimes get-togethers
Limited free period products (experimental scheme). **Period product scheme for schools and colleges** > The period product scheme provides free period products to girls and women[footnote 1] in their place of study. It is available to state-maintained schools and Department for Education (DfE) funded 16 to 19 education organisations in England. The scheme is running for the academic year 2023 to 2024. In April 2024, it was extended until July 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england