Equipsme’s Managing Director Matthew Reed explains: “It’s really important businesses make sure they know what they’re paying for, aren’t dazzled into getting more than they need - and aren’t paying for fluff. Look at the caps and limits on usage, and cover. Not all services, for instance, can offer open referrals onto specialist consultants - so they can only take patients so far.
“That’s something that was really important to us with Equipsme plans, because we know people are increasingly using virtual GPs as a second opinion service when they’re not getting responses from or traction with their NHS GP. It’s also important to look at things like usage as an indicator of how much value is actually being added - as well as consumer reviews. It’s only actually adding value if it’s being used and providing genuine, practical assistance.
“Again, that’s why we put in so much support for roll-outs, helping firms articulate and communicate Equipsme benefits so employees really understand what they’re getting and how to use it.”
As a result, Equipsme’s GP service, delivered by market-leading providers Health Hero, was used by more than 30% of our members last year.
Here’s six reasons Equipsme’s GP service stands out, and how it supports your business:
6 reasons Equipsme’s GP service stands out:
1. Shorter waiting times
Average waiting time for a routine GP appointment varies wildly across the country with some being able to be seen quickly and others having to wait up to 3 weeks 1, and the latest annual GP Patient Survey shows that over a third of people find it hard to get hold of their practice2 (38.2% of respondents found booking over the phone difficult, 37.1% found booking through their GP website difficult and 39.4% found booking through the NHS App difficult). With Equipsme, on average people get a virtual GP appointment within 24 hours – which is a very good reason to encourage your staff to use our service.
2. Out of hours access
Our GP service is 24/7, so members can ask for an appointment at a time that suits them. A third of all calls to our service take place in the evenings or at weekends, outside of working hours.
3. Unlimited consultation times
Members are not limited to ten minutes of face-time before the doctor has to move onto another patient. In fact, more than 40% of calls take longer than that, which means your employees have time to get the support they need to get better.
4. Open referrals
Unlike some GP services, Health Hero GPs can provide open referrals – meaning they can recommend people see a specialist consultant for further investigation. Members can take their open referral letter to their own GP or submit it as part of a claim to AXA Health (if you’ve bought them diagnosis or treatment as part of their plan) to assess if the condition/treatment is covered.
5. Easy prescriptions
Prescriptions can be issued online and emailed direct to the patient or a pharmacy of their choice - so your staff can start medication as quickly as possible. Members pay directly for their private prescriptions and charges vary depending on the prescription.
6. Top quality service
Health Hero has a multi-disciplinary team of more than 4,200 clinicians, a 96% patient satisfaction score, and is accredited and rated good by the Quality Care Commission - so you know your people are in safe hands.
Promoting the Equipsme GP service
Use our articles to promote the Equipsme GP service! We’ve done the work so you don’t have to, with intranet articles that can help you encourage take-up and use:
How to use the GP service
6 ways to maximise your remote GP appointment
Sources:
1 GP appointment waiting-time delays higher than national average - BBC News
2 GP Patient Survey - our response
All our information is desk-based research from credible sources only, including the NHS and medical/disease charities.
Date created: September 2024
