Digestive online outpatient services

Your Equipsme plan is designed to help you to get better, faster. The digestive online outpatient services are here to help do that more efficiently – getting you the help you need as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.

More than 4/10 Brits¹ suffer from digestive discomfort, with 1 million² of us living with a serious bowel condition. The digestive online outpatient service can help put you on the right track to identify, understand and deal with your digestive health issues.

How to use the digestive online outpatient services

• Contact your NHS GP or the 24/7 private GP service with your concerns – if appropriate they may recommend a referral to a specialist (called an open referral).
• Log into the member portal or App and click on the Diagnosis icon
• Contact AXA Health by phone and quote your AXA Health membership number (which can be found in your Equipsme portal/App) or click the dedicated link.
• AXA Health may need to ask for further information first if your symptoms/conditions could be pre-existing or otherwise excluded.
• You will be asked to complete an online clinical assessment to help a consultant assess your symptoms.
• A specialist will advise on next steps or provide reassurance within 3 working days of an online assessment.
• If you need a further consultation, or have any further questions, you can book a phone or video call with a specialist from the privacy of your own home.
• If you need further tests, these can be arranged quickly too – including home test kits to collect things like stool samples, or on-site tests like a colonoscopy or an endoscopy where a camera is used to get internal images.
• If you need to see a specialist face-to-face, you’re on the fast-track to see someone through your Equipsme plan.

Please note:

• The digestive online outpatient service is available to Equipsme members who have diagnosis or treatment as part of their Equipsme plan.
• The digestive online outpatient service can’t be used if you have received any medication, advice or treatment, including symptoms in the 3 years before your cover started. We also exclude chronic conditions - for example, ongoing Crohn’s disease treatment (diagnosis is included).
• You may be prescribed medication with a private prescription. Your membership doesn't cover the cost of prescriptions. You can pay for these privately, but it may cost more than on the NHS.

More information

For more information about gut health and the most common symptoms visit the Equipsme blog:
Gut instinct – talking about digestive health | Equipsme

Find help and support for gut issues:
NHS
Guts UK
Bowel Research UK

Sources

¹ gutscharity.org.uk
² www.bowelresearchuk.org