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NHS wig vouchers, explained kindly

If you're facing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, hair loss is one of the things people worry about most — and money worries on top of that feel deeply unfair. So let me take one small thing off your plate and explain, plainly, how NHS wig help actually works around here. No jargon. Just what you need to know.

Does the NHS pay for a wig?

If your hair loss is caused by cancer treatment, the NHS provides a wig — and if you're being treated at The Christie (including at The Christie at Macclesfield, right here on the hospital site), it's arranged through their wig service. You'll usually be offered one wig from a set range, free of charge while you're having treatment.

The important, hopeful bit: that NHS entitlement doesn't have to mean settling for a wig you don't love. In most cases you can take the value the NHS would spend and put it towards a wig you've chosen yourself — paying only the difference for something that feels truly like you. Ask your treatment team, and ask me; between us we'll make your entitlement stretch as far as it can.

Who gets one free?

The wig itself, arranged through the hospital during treatment, is provided for you. Separately, some people qualify for wider help with NHS costs — for example if you receive certain benefits, or hold an HC2 certificate. It's worth knowing that a medical exemption certificate (the one many cancer patients have for prescriptions) covers prescriptions, not automatically the standard wig charge — so if you're buying privately rather than through the hospital scheme, do check what you're entitled to first. If that sounds like a maze, don't worry — it's exactly the sort of thing I'll help you untangle at a consultation.

Where do I actually get fitted?

Here's something many local women don't realise: although your voucher is arranged in Macclesfield, The Christie's approved wig-fitting salons are mostly over in Stockport and Manchester — there hasn't been a dedicated wig fitter in Macclesfield itself for years. That's a big part of why I do what I do. Wherever your wig comes from, I'm here in town to help you choose it, fit it properly, cut it to frame your face, and look after it — the difference between "wearing a wig" and it simply being your hair.

A gentle word on timing

If you can, come and talk to me before treatment starts, while you still have your own hair to match. There's no rush and no pressure — but choosing your hair calmly, in your own time, on your own terms, is so much kinder than doing it in a hurry later. Many women find it one of the few things about this whole experience they get to feel in control of.

Two more sources of help worth knowing:

Macmillan can sometimes provide grants towards the cost of a wig — your Macmillan information centre at the hospital can advise.
The Little Princess Trust provides free, real-hair wigs to children and young people up to the age of 24.

How I can help

Come and sit with me, free of charge and completely privately. We'll go through what you're entitled to, try on beautiful options with no pressure, and make a plan that fits both your face and your budget. You don't have to decide anything on the day — and you'll never be chased.

Book a quiet chatFree, private, and just the two of us — no obligation, ever.

This guide is general information, written to help — it isn't official NHS guidance, and entitlements can change, so please check the current details with your own treatment team. For anything medical, your GP and oncology team come first.