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.

Who are Equipsme?

Equipsme launched in 2018 with a mission to make business health insurance simple, practical and great value for money.

Unlike other health benefits and insurance, we actually want people to USE their plan. It’s not supposed to sit in your back pocket and do nothing. Which is exactly why we’ve put together these practical ‘How to’ guides.

Why Equipsme?

The services we selected to make up our award-winning plans are delivered by some of the biggest and most respected health providers in the industry like AXA Health, Thriva, Health Assured and Health Hero, so you can be reassured your health is in safe hands.

Equipsme is unique in the market because it also allows you to pay in to upgrade your cover and choose the level of benefits you believe is right for you and also add your partner and children, giving you extra peace of mind.

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 surgery is shut, you can get help at a time that suits you.

Help. I need to speak to a GP. What do I do?

Go to your app or login to the Members portal on the Equipsme website.
Click on the 24/7 GP access icon on the homepage.
Call our GP partner HealthHero 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 and there is no limit on the amount of time you can talk with a Doctor. 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 working hours.

Will I be talking to a real doctor?

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