Do you have private medical insurance? If you do and are with one of the 6 providers below, you will have access to private GP services via a mobile app. With the increasing demand on the NHS, and GP appointments becoming like gold dust, private medical insurance is there to relieve some of the pressure on the NHS and take the strain off lengthy wait times. With a digital GP app, you can be seen in as little as 24 hours, from the convenience of your own home, or you could take a call at work to avoid having to take the day off. Digital GP appointments mean you can quickly get seen, treated and back to good health.
Private GP services can be via video or phone call. This means that you can speak to a private GP from your home, or office, at a time which suits you.
If you provide private medical cover for your employees, the availability of a digital GP can help minimise employee downtime. When your staff need a consultation with a GP or want medical advice, a digital GP app gives quick and convenient access to consultations and prescriptions with free delivery.
Do private GP services count as a claim?
No, they don’t! You will not be charged an excess and seeing a private GP will not negatively affect your claims adjustment.
Let’s take a look at 6 different apps for GP services:
Aviva mobile app
The Aviva digital GP app is provided by Square Health. It is available as a value-added service with Aviva Private Medical Insurance.
Aviva Digital GP offers:
- GP video consultations
- An appointment within 24 hours
- Repeat NHS prescriptions
- A choice of GP
- Consultation advice and history within the app
- Paediatric consultations
AXA Health mobile app
With the AXA digital GP app, Doctor@Hand, you have access to a GP by video or phone any day of the week. Each appointment is up to 20 minutes long, so you will not feel rushed. Private GP services via this app are super easy and give you a choice of GP and appointment time. The GP, if needed, can provide a private specialist referral. They can even issue prescriptions delivered to your door or local chemist.
AXA Health’s digital GP app Doctor@Hand is powered by Doctor Care Anywhere and available with any AXA Health private medical policy.
Doctor@Hand offers:
- Anytime appointments
- Hand-picked GPs
- See a GP anywhere
- Seamless patient journeys
- Medical records at a touch
Bupa mobile app
Bupa’s 24/7 digital GP access, where you don’t need to wait for an appointment, take time off work, arrange childcare or even leave the house to see a doctor, is called Blua Health. You can talk to a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist, or mental health practitioner, check your symptoms and get prescriptions delivered.
If you don’t have private medical insurance with Bupa, they also offer a self-pay service to see a remote GP.
Blua Health is included with most Bupa health insurance policies.
Blua Health allows you to:
- 24/7 digital GP access
- Book a video or phone appointment.
- Check your symptoms in seconds.
- You can get prescriptions sent to your or a local pharmacy.
- Get referred to a specialist
- Use your usual Bupa sign-in details
Freedom Health mobile app
The Freedom Health digital GP is called GP24 and is available to all new and existing Freedom Elite, Freedom Essentials or Freedom Your Choice customers.
With GP24, you have the option to schedule a phone consultation with a GP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, receiving medical advice, medical diagnosis and reassurance when you need it.
93% of patients rate the overall experience they receive through GP24 as excellent. This service offers:
- 24/7 access to a GP via telephone (except Christmas Day)
- Access to your consultation history and medical notes though your GP24 online account
- A ‘message a doctor’ service for quick responses to your medical questions
General & Medical mobile app
Via telephone or an online video consultation, you can speak to a qualified GP for advice on your medical concerns.
The General & Medical app offers:
- Unlimited access to a GP telephone advice service
- Access to convenient online video consultations
Vitality Health mobile app
Private GP services can be accessed via the Vitality GP app. You can book a telephone or video call, or even see a GP in person twice each plan year, which does incur a £20 upfront payment, when booking, but Vitality will cover the rest of the consultation charge. If you would like unlimited appointments, you can add the London Care hospital list to your plan. London Care plans are, however, more expensive than Countrywide or Consultant Select.
If you are abroad, you can also access the service for medical advice.
The Vitality Health GP app offers:
- Access to a video GP appointment
- 24/7 healthcare advice
- Fast referral service to a specialist if you need it which is particularly important when you are unwell.
- Digital prescriptions sent to your pharmacy for pick-up
- Self-referrals for physiotherapy and mental health support
How to find the best private medical policy that offers private GP services
As we’ve shown, there is a lot of choice available when it comes to digital GP apps, so how do you know which is the right one for you, from the right private health provider?
Without a doubt, working with a specialist broker can give you an all-round view of the market and offer you a detailed comparison of all the policies on offer. An insurer will only give you information about their own and products; Ascend Health can give you access to a panel of providers and match the right one to your specific requirements. Please get in touch today and one of the team will be happy to help you find the right policy, first time.
You can contact us on 01245 929129 or by email at enquiries@ascendhealth.co.uk