“I sing Equipsme’s praises all the time. I’m not sure people realise how good it is. I’ve had PMI before and I’ve found Equipsme to be equivalent, if not better.”
When Justine, 40, broke her toe on holiday, she expected to be all better in a matter of 4-6 weeks. But two months later on she was still in pain – and looking for answers. She turned to her Equipsme plan to help find them.
She explains: “I was on holiday and a sliding wardrobe door came off its rails and onto my foot, effectively crushing my big toe. Obviously it hurt at the time, but I didn’t really realise just how badly I’d damaged myself – or how difficult it was going to be.
“I had to take several weeks working at home, and I’m lucky that my job and my employer allowed me to do that. But after 6 weeks my toe just wasn’t getting any better. I still couldn’t drive, putting any weight on it was still very painful - and even getting round the house was a struggle.
“I run, and that’s a massive part of my life, so not being able to even walk was really difficult. People say ‘it’s just a toe’ but it was so much more debilitating than you can imagine - I might as well have broken my leg.”
Justine tried her best to shake it off and get back to a normal routine. She continues: “I tried to follow the broken-toe advice and gradually carry on as normally as possible, doing things like walking round the office and some very slow school runs, but I had to put all my weight on my heel - and that meant I started to get pain through the side of my foot, my ankle and knee.
“It turns out your big toe is quite important to your whole leg, your balance, and how you move. So mine being out of action for so long meant I was overcompensating and basically thrown everything else out of alignment. Everything just hurt – for weeks and weeks on end.
“Eventually, I decided enough was enough and that it was time to go through Equipsme to get some help.
Physiotherapy
“I arranged to see a physiotherapist through my plan, who said that while they could help me work on the alignment issues, it might be worth seeing an orthopedic consultant about the toe itself. All of that was also approved, and I ended up seeing someone at my local private hospital, who arranged for an MRI scan.
“The scan showed just how bad the toe injury was, identifying six separate fractures in my big toe, and another in my fourth toe – all of which hadn’t been picked up by the original x-ray in Spain. It made sense of how much pain I was in and how long I was taking to heal.
“Understanding what was going on with my toe allowed for a more targeted treatment plan. I ended up having physio sessions over several weeks, which finally began to make a difference. Everything gradually creaked back into place. With the right specialist input and a clear diagnosis, my recovery accelerated significantly, and I was able to return to normal activities much sooner than expected. After so many months, it was amazing to finally be able to move without any pain.
“On my Equipsme plan there’s a £150 excess to pay, but a single private consultation appointment cost something like £300, and with all the physio, tests and scans I probably had thousands of pounds of treatment. So for me it was well worth it to get those fast answers - and get that extra support when I really needed it.
“At this point the whole thing is a distant memory. I’m in great shape, and even back running marathons! Having access to expert care at minimal cost made a huge difference to me. Without it, I could have faced a much longer recovery period and potential complications. For me, being able to bypass delays and get the right support at the right time was invaluable.”
GP Service
Justine has used her Equipsme plan several times, and chose to pay-in to cover her family, too. She’s found it’s often easier to make an appointment with the Equipsme GP service than with her local doctor.
“I’m a big fan of Equipsme,” says Justi. “I’ve found it so useful in so many different ways, but the GP service is particularly good. I physically can’t get in to see my own NHS GP. They still use this archaic system where everyone has to call at 8am and it’s in the hands of the Gods as to who actually gets through. I usually can’t even get a telephone appointment, let alone the opportunity to see someone in person.
“With Equipsme I’ve found the day-to-day stuff significantly easier to access. I can get a virtual GP appointment if I need one, and I can get a referral on to see someone in person if I need that, too.
“I think what you get from a private GP, even if they’re only virtual, is their time. So while they’re extremely efficient they’re not rushing through to get onto the next person and they’re actually listening to you properly. Which is nice.
Family health
“It’s also been great for the kids. We tend to go through this really fun merry go round of tonsillitis that bounces between the two kids for the whole of Winter. They can both be pretty poorly with it, and often need antibiotics to effectively treat the infection. Going through the Equipsme GP service means we can buy that prescription quickly, without having to fight for an appointment - and even get it on a Friday or a weekend if that’s when they happen to fall ill. As a result we’ve been able to nip it in the bud quickly, and they’ve been able to stay well and stay at school. It’s been a lifesaver.
“My eldest has also used Equipsme for physiotherapy - after he fell over on his Duke of Edinburgh Award and managed to damage his knee quite badly. That swift intervention meant he could get better much quicker, which is just exactly what you need whatever age you are.
“I sing Equipsme’s praises all the time. I’m not sure people realise how good it is, in all honesty. I’ve had PMI before and I’ve found Equipsme to be equivalent, if not better.
“I think if you’ve got access to private healthcare of any kind then you’ve got a duty to use it. The NHS is completely bombarded and overloaded, so if you don’t have to bother it, you shouldn’t.
“With Equipsme what you’ve got is a really solid alternative that can really help you and your family with everyday health issues. If you’re lucky enough to have been bought a plan through your work you should definitely be using it.”
