Press Release - Immediate Release 01.08.01

NHSDiscounts.com launches - Helping NHS staff to save money

It's a time-old problem - how do you motivate staff to stay working with the NHS? What benefits can you offer employees? While the government tries establish some of these benefits and improve the working lives of NHS employees through The NHS Plan, a new online community, NHSDiscounts.com, is already getting ahead of the game by helping NHS staff, at all levels, to make their salary go further.

Launched today, NHSDiscounts.com is an online community dedicated to saving NHS staff money on everything from the basic day-to-day items to the essential luxuries of life. From mobile phones to mortgages, compact discs to computers, it's cheaper for NHS workers via NHSDiscounts.com. In fact, Managing Director Rob Sanders believes the site can save NHS workers up to 10% of their salary every year.

Entirely free to use, the website has already attracted members with real, significant discounts - up to 75% - negotiated with some of Britain's top-name companies, including Currys, WHSmith, PC World, Thomas Cook, David Lloyd, Courts, Halifax and many more.

Managing director, Rob Sanders believes that the site tackles NHS recruitment issues head-on: "Everyone knows recruitment, retention and morale in the NHS need attention now. NHSDiscounts makes the Health Service a better place to work by saving its people money. If they feel appreciated, people are more likely to join, more likely to stay, and more likely to commit long-term to the NHS. That can't be bad, can it?"

DoH Stamp of Approval

The site has impressed the Department of Health so much that it has been invited, among only a handful or organisations, to produce regular content for the official NHS Intranet site, and during the pilot stages of that project, NHSDiscounts became a firm favourite.

As the site is entirely free for NHS workers to use, and doesn't cost NHS Trusts a penny either, it makes its money from charging the companies who provide discounts on its pages.

It then gives a substantial percentage of that money back direct to its members, through regular competitions and a monthly Lottery, which gives £500 to a randomly chosen member, and another £500 to their charity of choice.

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For further information about www.nhsdiscounts.com, contact the PressRoom on 0808 1000 181 or email; pressroom@nhsdiscounts.com

About NHSDiscounts

NHSDiscounts is an online community dedicated to helping all members of the NHS to save money. Launched in August 2001, the site is completely free to join and has already attracted over 50,000 members from all sectors of the NHS. It negotiates discounts with many well-known High Street brands such as Dixons, Currys, WHSmith, PC World, the AA, Eaglestar Insurance and the Halifax. These discounts are made available to all members of the NHS via the Internet and can save staff up to 10% of their annual salary.

NHSDiscounts has also created an interactive community section where members can enter a wide range of competitions to win cash prizes of up to £1000, submit jokes to win prizes and catch-up on all the latest news in the health service. Membership to the site is only available to NHS employees and their families. More information can be found at www.nhsdiscounts.com.