This hub tracks who is eligible for free NHS services in England: prescriptions, dental care, eye tests, and the main vaccination programmes (flu, RSV, shingles, COVID booster). Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; those exceptions are noted inline. The primary source for each rule is the official NHS website, cited at the bottom.

Free NHS prescriptions in England

An NHS prescription in England costs £9.90 per item from 1 April 2026 (frozen from 2025/26). You do not pay if any of the following apply:

  • You are 60 or over.
  • You are under 16.
  • You are 16 to 18 and in full-time education.
  • You are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months (with a valid maternity exemption certificate).
  • You have a specified medical condition (e.g. cancer, diabetes requiring medication, epilepsy, hypothyroidism) and hold a valid medical exemption certificate.
  • You have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help.
  • You, or your partner, receive Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related ESA, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or Universal Credit within the qualifying earnings thresholds.
  • You hold a valid NHS Low Income Scheme HC2 certificate.

If none of the exemptions apply and you get multiple prescriptions, a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) at £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months usually saves money. The HRT-specific PPC is £19.80 for 12 months of HRT prescriptions.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, NHS prescriptions are already free for all residents.

NHS dental charges

NHS dental treatment in England is free for:

  • Under 18s (under 19 if in qualifying full-time education).
  • Pregnant women and new mothers in the 12 months after giving birth.
  • People on Income Support, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or qualifying Universal Credit.
  • HC2 certificate holders under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Everyone else pays one of three band charges. From April 2026: Band 1 £26.80 (check-up), Band 2 £73.50 (fillings, extractions), Band 3 £319.10 (crowns, dentures, bridges). Urgent care is £26.80.

Free NHS eye tests

NHS-funded sight tests are available to anyone who meets any of the following:

  • Aged 60 or over.
  • Under 16, or 16-18 in full-time education.
  • Diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma.
  • Aged 40 or over with a family history of glaucoma.
  • Registered blind or partially sighted.
  • Receiving qualifying low-income benefits (as above) or holding an HC2 certificate.

In Scotland, NHS sight tests are free for all residents.

Vaccination eligibility

RSV vaccine

The NHS RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination programme in England offers a one-off jab to:

  • Adults aged 75 to 79 (with a catch-up campaign running to cover those who became eligible before April 2026).
  • Pregnant women from 28 weeks of pregnancy onwards, to protect newborns.

The programme launched on 1 September 2024 and continues year-round. Eligible patients are usually invited by their GP surgery; you can also ask directly.

Flu vaccine

Free NHS flu jabs are offered each autumn to:

  • Adults aged 65 and over.
  • Pregnant women.
  • Adults and children aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group.
  • Care home residents and their carers.
  • Frontline health and social care workers.
  • Children from age 2 to school Year 11 (nasal spray route).

COVID-19 booster

Spring 2026 COVID boosters are offered to adults aged 75 and over, care home residents aged 65 and over, and anyone aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system.

Shingles vaccine

The shingles vaccine is offered to everyone at age 65, and to those aged 70 to 79 who have not yet had it. It is also offered to people aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

NHS Health Check

A free NHS Health Check is offered every five years to anyone aged 40 to 74 in England who does not already have a pre-existing condition such as heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease. It checks cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI and diabetes risk.

How to claim

For prescriptions, dental and eye care, tick the relevant exemption box on the form and show proof (exemption card, maternity certificate, benefits award letter, or HC2) when asked. For vaccines, wait for a GP invite or contact your surgery directly once you are within an eligible age band. If your claim is refused and you believe you qualify, ask for written reasons and use the NHS Low Income Scheme (form HC1) as a fallback route.