How Equipsme works: How to book a GP appointment

How to use the 24/7 private GP service which is available on all our plans.

Equipsme plans are designed to offer practical, everyday health and wellbeing support. Here’s how to book a GP appointment.

Who can access the GP service?

Equipsme’s 24/7 GP service, provided by our partners Health Hero, is a core part of ALL Equipsme plans.

How to use the Online GP service (available on all our plans)

Our online GP lets you talk to a real-life, UK-based and independently regulated GP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

So if you’re trying to see someone around a busy work schedule - or if you’ve got terrible earache on a Friday night when your own NHS surgery is shut, you can get help at a time that suits you.

When should I use the Equipsme GP service?

1. Everyday health concerns

The Equipsme GP service is there for you to help you look after everyday health concerns. So if you’ve got a rash, a sore knee, or a cough that won’t quit, you can get expert advice and support.

2. Rashes or symptoms you can photograph

They can look at images of symptoms to support diagnosis, and they can even issue a private prescription if medically necessary. (You will have to pay for your medicine).

3. Second opinions

You can also get a second opinion if you’re not getting anywhere with your NHS GP. The Health Hero GPs aren’t limited to just a few minutes per consultation, so if you’ve got questions and queries about your concerns or your options you’re not going to be rushed in and out.

4. Referrals to a specialist

If diagnosis is part of your plan, you can get a private open referral if the GP believes you need to see a specialist private consultant. This referral letter can then be used as part of your claim for AXA Health to pre-assess if it is covered under the Equipsme plan.

When should I NOT use the Equipsme GP service?

1. Emergencies

Health Hero GPs can’t help you with urgent or emergency care – if for example you’re struggling to breathe, bleeding or suspect a stroke or heart attack you should be calling 999 or going directly to A&E.

2. Physical tests/examinations

They also won’t be able to help if you need a physical examination, test or scan by a GP first – for instance a blood test, urine sample, MRI or CT scan. It’s just not possible to do these via a phone or video call.

The Health Hero doctors will need to refer you back to your NHS GP for things like blood tests or initial diagnostic scans. You can’t claim to get back the costs if you choose to get these tests done privately because the plan cover only applies for private tests or scans that are under the control of a specialist, rather than a GP.

However, if the GP recommends you need to see a specialist, they CAN provide you with an open referral letter. This referral letter can then be used as part of your claim for AXA Health to pre-assess if it is covered under the Equipsme plan.

3. Uncertain symptoms

It’s worth remembering that the Health Hero GPs take your health really, really seriously. So if they think you might need more urgent care they may refer you to your own NHS GP, a walk-in centre, or to A&E.

The good news is that if you weren’t sure if you should bother someone, a real Doctor can tell you whether you should be getting checked out.

Help. I’ve got an everyday medical issue, and I can’t wait for my own GP. What do I do?

Making an appointment with our Health Hero GPs is really easy:

Click on the 24/7 GP access icon on the homepage.
Call our GP partners Health Hero on the number provided, or fill in the online form to request an appointment.

How soon will I get an appointment?

Appointments are subject to any peak demand at the time. You can choose whether to have a telephone conversation, or a video call, depending on what you need to talk about.

With Equipsme, on average people get a virtual GP appointment within 24 hours and a third of all calls to our service take place in the evenings or at weekends, outside of normal working hours.

Will I be talking to a real doctor?

Yes. It’s not a chatbot or a helpline, you’ll talk to a qualified GP either over the phone or on a video call.

You’re not limited to ten minutes of face-time before the doctor has to move onto another patient. In fact, more than half of calls take longer than that, which means you have more time to get the support you need.

Who are Health Hero?

Our online GP partner Health Hero are a leading digital primary care service, operating in the UK and Europe. Health Hero takes care of more than 7 million people in the UK and Ireland, has a 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 you’re in safe hands.

What if I need medicine?

If you need medicine, your online GP will be able to assess what is appropriate and if so, prescribe it. You can choose to have either an electronic prescription or your actual medicine delivered to your home, work or local pharmacy.

You will have to pay for your medicine, because the cost is not included in your plan. It’s likely to cost a little more than an NHS prescription as it’s considered a private prescription. You can save on the cost of delivery if you choose an emailed prescription that you can take to a local pharmacy of your choice.

What if I need to see a specialist?

Your online GP will decide if a specialist referral is necessary and if so, can provide you with an open referral letter. These are accepted by AXA Health (if you have Diagnosis cover on your plan), and the claims team will assess whether your condition is eligible for cover under the Equipsme plan or not.

If authorised, AXA Health will help you make an appointment with one of their recognised specialists or a hospital/clinic for treatment.

If the condition you are claiming for might be pre-existing, you may need to obtain additional information from your own GP first (as only they can access your medical history records). Your GP may charge you for this.

Why wouldn’t I just wait for my own GP?

There’s a lot to be said for going to see someone who knows you, but your Equipsme plan gives you another option. It means you can get a second opinion from an independent GP, talk to someone out of hours, when you’re away from home - or if you just can’t get an NHS appointment.

Can I use the service for everyone on my plan?

Yes, as long as any eligible family members have been included by you in on your plan. You can then also get an appointment with the 24/7 online GP for them too.

Quick info about the 24/7 private GP service:

Unlimited GP appointments
24/7, 365 days a year - by phone or online
Private prescription delivery service and private fit notes
Request appointment on the Equipsme App
Or call 0345 222 3712