O2 has closed its O2 Open employee discount, which is the scheme that gave NHS staff 25% off airtime plans. Since 1 September 2026 it’s no longer available to new customers or to existing customers who upgrade. The good news is there’s still a way for NHS staff to pay less on O2: an exclusive SIM-only deal listed at the top of this page with 80GB of 5G data for £10 a month, plus a £10 voucher thrown in. Here’s what’s changed and what the new deal is actually worth.
Is There Still an NHS Discount at O2?
Not in the form most people remember. For years the O2 NHS discount worked through O2 Open. You bought a phone or SIM, registered on the O2 Open portal with employer code NHS01, verified with your trust email or a payslip, and 25% came off the airtime part of your bill every month. That route has gone. O2’s own Open page now says the scheme is closed to new customers and to anyone upgrading.
If you already have an O2 Open discount on your account, don’t panic. O2 has confirmed you’ll keep it for the rest of your current Device Plan credit agreement. It’s only when that agreement ends, or you upgrade, that the 25% disappears.
What replaces it for NHS staff is a deal rather than a percentage. O2 supplies NHS Discount Offers with an exclusive SIM-only plan that isn’t priced this way on the main O2 site: 80GB of data, unlimited UK calls and texts, 5G included, for £10 a month. On top of that you get a £10 voucher when you sign up. There’s no NHS verification, no code to type in and no portal to register on. The pricing is built into the deal.
How Much Can NHS Staff Save?
Quite a lot, as it happens. Comparable allowances bought direct from O2 at full price have typically sat closer to £20 a month, so £10 for 80GB is roughly half that. Over a year that’s in the region of £120 kept in your pocket, before you count the £10 voucher.
It also stacks up well against what the old scheme used to deliver. The 25% Open discount only ever applied to the airtime part of a contract, and on a SIM-only plan at around £20 that worked out at £5 a month off. This deal saves you double that without any paperwork.
One thing to budget for: O2 applies an annual price rise to pay monthly plans each April, so expect the monthly cost to step up by a couple of pounds from April 2027. The deal page shows the exact figure before you commit. Even after the rise it stays well under what most people pay for a big data allowance.
How to Claim the O2 NHS Deal
- Scroll to the exclusive O2 deal at the top of this page and click through to see the full plan details.
- Check the contract length, the data allowance and the April price change on the deal page so there are no surprises.
- Order the SIM as normal. The £10 a month price is already applied, so there’s no NHS code or employer number to enter.
- Keep your order confirmation. The £10 voucher is tied to the deal, and you’ll want proof of purchase if it hasn’t arrived after the stated time.
- If you’re moving from another network, text PAC to 65075 before your new SIM arrives so you can bring your number across straight away.
What You Get on O2’s Network
80GB is more data than most people use in a month, even on a commute full of streaming and a few hotspot sessions on a quiet night shift. The plan includes 5G where your phone and location support it, and O2’s SIM-only plans come with inclusive EU roaming of up to 25GB a month across 48 destinations, so a week in Spain doesn’t need a bolt-on.
You also get O2 Priority, which is the bit of O2 that NHS staff tend to rate most. It gives you pre-sale access to gig and event tickets up to 48 hours before general release, plus regular freebies and discounts at restaurants, cinemas and high street shops through the Priority app.
Virgin Media broadband customers can go a step further. Linking the two accounts through Volt doubles the data on the plan, which on this deal means 160GB for the same £10.
If what you actually want is O2’s coverage without a 12-month commitment, giffgaff runs on O2’s masts with rolling monthly goodybags, though you’ll pay more per gigabyte than this deal.
Is It Worth It?
If you’re happy with your current handset, yes. SIM-only is the cheapest way to run a phone, and £10 for 80GB on a major network with roaming and Priority included is one of the better value plans available to NHS staff right now, verified scheme or not.
Where it falls short is if you need a new phone on a contract. With O2 Open gone, O2 no longer offers NHS staff a monthly discount on handset deals. In that case the Vodafone Advantage scheme, which takes 25% off pay monthly plans, and the EE NHS discount of 20% off airtime are now the two networks still running verified NHS percentages. Add up the total cost over the full contract, upfront price included, before you choose.
Tips to Keep Costs Down
- Still on an old O2 Open contract? Don’t upgrade until you’ve compared. Upgrading ends your 25% discount, and the exclusive SIM deal may work out cheaper anyway.
- Check your current data use in your phone settings before you buy. If you’re nowhere near 80GB, O2 also runs smaller allowances at lower prices.
- Link Virgin Media broadband through Volt if you have it. Double data costs nothing extra.
- Diarise the April price rise and the end of your contract term so you can renegotiate or switch rather than drifting onto a higher price.
- Open the Priority app once a week. The free coffees and ticket pre-sales add up to real money over a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the O2 NHS discount ended?
The 25% O2 Open discount has. From 1 September 2026 O2 Open is closed to new customers and to existing customers who upgrade. NHS staff can still save on O2 through the exclusive 80GB SIM-only deal for £10 a month listed on this page.
I already have the O2 Open discount. Will I lose it?
Not yet. O2 has said existing Open customers keep their discount for the rest of their current Device Plan credit agreement. It ends when that agreement finishes or when you upgrade.
Does the O2 SIM-only deal need an NHS code?
No. The £10 a month price is built into the deal, so there’s nothing to enter at checkout and no employer verification. Just order through the link at the top of this page.
How do I get the £10 voucher?
The voucher comes with the exclusive deal when you order the 80GB plan through this page. The deal page sets out how and when it’s sent, so keep your order confirmation until it arrives.
Can I keep my number if I switch to O2?
Yes. Text PAC to 65075 from your current phone to get a PAC code from your existing network, then give it to O2 once your SIM arrives. Your number normally moves across within one working day.
Does the 80GB plan include 5G and roaming?
Yes. 5G is included at no extra cost where your handset supports it, and O2 SIM-only plans come with inclusive EU roaming of up to 25GB a month across 48 destinations.
Check the O2 deal at the top of this page for the current price and voucher terms, updated whenever O2 refreshes its NHS offers.
More NHS Deals You Might Like
If you’re weighing up other networks, Three’s exclusive 150GB plans for NHS staff are the main rival on data, while Smarty’s rolling SIM-only plans suit anyone who doesn’t want a contract at all. For a new handset, our guide to getting an iPhone with an NHS discount covers the cheapest routes to Apple, and Mobile Phones Direct carries contracts across every network. You’ll find everything we cover in the mobile phones section.
I am an NHS worker already on a O2 phone and sim plan. Do these offers only apply to new customers. What about existing NHS customers?
Hi there. For the discount to be applied it has to be within 28 days of buying the contract. The way to do this is create an O2 open account and use our discount code above.
If it is over the 28 days I would contact O2 direct and speak to customer services.