“Equipsme has been superb from start to finish. Without it, I’d have been waiting months for the NHS to see me, and I wouldn’t have been in the right place at the right time to catch the cancer so quickly.”
An Equipsme member was getting a sore on his head checked by a dermatologist, when they spotted an area that looked even more concerning. He’s since had a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) removed from his forehead – all through his Equipsme plan.
He explains: “I first noticed a sore on the back of my head after a head injury. There was just a patch I kept catching in the shower that kept scabbing over and wasn’t getting better.
“Eventually, I decided it was time to do something about it, and made an appointment with Equipsme’s virtual GP service.
Open referral
“We all know that things can move slowly with the NHS, but things are particularly bad in dermatology. I knew I would need a referral - and I knew going through Equipsme would be the fastest way to get it.
“I’ve used the GP Service several times and found it very useful. In this case they looked at some pictures I managed to take, and agreed I needed an Open Referral. So after I got the letter, I called up AXA Health to check I was covered - and got the green light to go ahead and see someone.
“I ended up in front of a specialist who said it was better to be safe than sorry and wanted to remove the affected patch on my head and send it off for biopsy. The process was all incredibly rapid and smooth.
“The good news was that in the follow-up it turned out to be nothing to worry about.
“The bad news was that the dermatologist spotted a small spot on my forehead that they WERE concerned over.
Diagnosis
“So back I went to get it cut out, and to wait for another biopsy result. This time it turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) - and it had been spreading quickly.
“It had come out of nowhere - just a small mark - but the consultant had taken one look at it and clearly knew something wasn’t right.
“After they removed it, they showed me pictures of how it had progressed - and that freaked me out a bit. But the results came back quickly, and although it was cancerous they were confident we’d got it.
“They left the wound open for a few weeks, to make sure they couldn’t see any further changes, and then they stitched me up, told me to wear a hat and lots of suncream from now on, and that was that.
Equipsme cover
“The Equipsme cover has been superb from start to finish, and every professional it’s given me access to has been brilliant. Although Equipsme doesn’t cover cancer, because it was already cut out and gone – and caught so quickly – I didn’t need further treatment. So my follow-ups have been included within the cover.
“Now obviously, Equipsme doesn’t cover everything. Other things are excluded too, like psychiatric support, and pre-existing conditions. But all-singing all-dancing PMI wouldn’t have been something my company could get for everyone – and I’m incredibly grateful I had this to turn to when I needed it.
Right place at the right time
“The fact is without Equipsme I wouldn’t have clocked that spot so soon, and when I did I could easily have been waiting 6-12 months for the NHS to see me. So I’d probably have been sitting with a BCC for much longer. And I certainly wouldn’t have been in the exact right place at the right time to catch the cancer so quickly.
“I’ve managed to avoid more major surgery, possibly plastic surgery for reconstruction - and possibly other treatments, too, with longer-term side-effects.
“All in all, Equipsme has made my experience going through everything I’ve been through over the last year or so a lot easier. It’s been a massive help, and I feel incredibly fortunate.”
This Equipsme member is employed at an organisation that also provides Equipsme with business services.
About Equipsme plans
Our client testimonials and employee case studies are from people who’ve had a really good experience with Equipsme. We think they help others understand what we do and how we do it. But it’s also really important to understand what we don’t do. We’re committed to being completely up-front and transparent about our plans. For example, terms and conditions will apply (depending on the benefits described in this case study), such as the exclusion of pre-existing conditions in the three years before cover starts, long-term/chronic conditions, and private cancer treatment (once a cancer diagnosis has been made).
Image used is for illustrative purposes and does not show actual members.
More details can be found on our website at Employee health insurance plans | Equipsme
