All our policyholders get free additional benefits – anytime
All policyholders get free access to a GP 24/7, experts for second medical opinions, emotional wellbeing consultations and assessments to help alleviate and prevent general aches and pains.
UNLIMITED ACCESS TO A GP 24/7
The Anytime GP service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year.
That means as a policyholder you can receive unlimited advice, reassurance and, where appropriate, a diagnosis from wherever you are in the world.
Booking an appointment couldn’t be easier. Simply call our Anytime service team and select a suitable time and day to talk to a GP by either video or phone.
All our GPs are practicing doctors with the same qualifications as your NHS GP. A translation service is available for patients who don’t speak English.
Anytime GPs are on hand to discuss any health concern, including:
- Blood
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Ear, nose, throat
- Eye and vision care
- Heart problems
- Medication queries
- Mental health
- Musculoskeletal
- Nervous system
- Paediatrics
- Respiratory
- Second opinion
- Stomach
- Travel
- Urinary issues
- Women’s health
Patients also benefit from:
Open private referrals
If you need further investigation or treatment, the GP will issue an open private referral letter to ensure you get access to the health care you need from a Consultant with the stated specialty.
Referrals are for private use only and may not be accepted for services provided by state-funded healthcare.
Private prescriptions
Where necessary, GPs can issue private prescriptions where the medication can either be collected from a nominated pharmacy or delivered to any UK address. If you qualify for free NHS prescriptions you’ll still have to pay for a private prescription. For medication delivery there is a separate charge for postage and packaging.
The GP 24/7 experience
GP 24/7 service is provided by HealthHero
GP 24/7 IN ACTION
of all GP consultations lasted
more than 10 minutes.
of all consultations happened
between 10pm and 7am.
of all consultations were at
the weekend.
Source: Guardian Anytime usage 1 December 2022 – 30 November 2023.
Guardian Customer comments
Keep up the convenience factor! This service is much better than trying to get an appointment from my own registered GP.
Very fast service, it was amazing to get a same day appointment. Outstanding
service from the Dr, they were amazing.
The Dr. was very friendly, very professional and informative, and they made me feel at ease.
CUSTOMER SCENARIOS
Mrs HR | 25 years old
Mrs RH was experiencing throat and chest pains for a few days which led to an A&E visit. A couple of days later, still not feeling better, she contacted GP 24/7 and spoke with a GP for over 20 minutes. During the consultation, the GP diagnosed her with a digestion related problem and prescribed medication for immediate relief from the symptoms.
Ms LK | 62 years old
A patient used the Video consultation service to speak with a GP about a longstanding eye problem. The doctor was able to see her via video and spoke to her for over 20 minutes – enough time to diagnose her with blepharitis, a common ocular condition, and advise on the most appropriate treatment.
SECOND MEDICAL OPINION
Anyone diagnosed with a serious illness faces a worrying time and a range of emotions, concerns and questions.
That’s why Guardian Anytime offers a confidential, face-to-face second medical opinion to policyholders if they’re diagnosed with a life-changing or life-threatening condition. If the policyholder has Children’s Critical Illness Protection, all their eligible children are covered too.
The service is designed to give policyholders a second medical opinion when they’ve already received a diagnosis from their treating UK Consultant. The specialist they’re referred to can also help make treatment choices and answer any questions or doubts the policyholder may have about their existing Consultant’s recommendations. The second opinion will be provided by a UK-based Consultant and come with the ongoing support of a personal nurse adviser.
How the service works
Contact Us
After receiving a diagnosis from their own UK Consultant, any policyholder who would like a second medical opinion should call our Claims Team. We’ll then take the information and explain what happens next.
Personal Nurse Adviser
The policyholder will be allocated their own Personal Nurse Adviser who will give them information, guidance and support, by phone, both before and after the second opinion.
Face-to-Face UK Consultation
After an initial consultation with their Personal Nurse Adviser, the most appropriate consultant is identified and the policyholder may be offered a choice of consultants. The Personal Nurse Adviser will give the policyholder guidance before the consultation on things like the questions to ask and what to expect.
After the consultation
A medical report is sent to the policyholder and their GP.
The Personal Nurse Adviser will then help the policyholder decide on next steps. This may involve accessing services or further tests through the NHS or privately, making decisions or coming to terms with a disappointing outcome.
For those who need long-term support – perhaps in adjusting to and managing a serious health condition – the support of the Personal Nurse Adviser may continue.
Our second medical opinion service is provided by Red Arc
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING CONSULTATIONS
30-minute phone emotional wellbeing consultations to help you cope effectively with life’s challenges.
We all face emotional turbulence at some point in our lives. Our emotional wellbeing consultations are designed to help you cope with these difficult times, and help you proactively manage your mental health to help prevent your condition from becoming more serious.
How the consultation can help
Each consultation is conducted by an expert Emotional Wellbeing Adviser, from a panel made up of registered Mental Health Nurses and Counsellors. The adviser listens to your concerns and asks about any personal, work, and health issues that may be impacting your wellbeing.
They’ll provide advice on good emotional health practices, signposting, positive coping strategies and beneficial lifestyle changes that help you proactively manage your emotional wellbeing.
How the consultation works
- You can call to book an appointment Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, and you’ll be given an appointment for the consultation at a convenient time for you within 1 working day.
- The wellbeing adviser will call you at the agreed time to understand your situation, symptoms and the factors that may be impacting your emotional wellbeing. Including; work life, relationships, finances, family illness, bereavement, diet, exercise, sleep and alcohol consumption.
- They’ll advise you on good emotional health practices, coping strategies, exercise activities and lifestyle changes that you can adopt to help manage and maintain your own emotional wellbeing more effectively.
-
If it would help, after the consultation they may also share self-help videos with you to help adopt the advice recommended to you.
Please note. Our emotional wellbeing consultations aren’t designed for more serious mental conditions and don’t provide access to ongoing treatment or interventions, such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.
Consultations are only suitable for over 18s.Service is provided by
Why it’s important
1 in 4
adults experience at
least one diagnosable
mental health problem
each year.1
1 in 6
people report
experiencing a common
mental health problem
each week.2
Mental Health
is the largest single
cause of disability in
the UK.1
Sources 1. NHS England, Adult and older mental health, October 2023.
2. Mind, Mental health facts and statistics, June 2020.
ACHES AND PAINS CONSULTATIONS
30-minute phone consultations to help you alleviate and prevent suffering from general aches and pains.
Modern working life has led to many of us spending too much time sitting at desks and working at computer screens. This inactivity can lead to postural problems and muscular imbalance resulting in back and neck pain. Aches and pains consultations are designed to address these conditions.
How the consultation can help
Each consultation is conducted by an expert, from a panel made up of Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists. They assess the cause of the pain and, where appropriate, share remedial and lifestyle information, exercises and guided videos to help you feel better, faster.
How the consultation works
- You can call to book an appointment Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, and you’ll be given an appointment for your consultation at a convenient time for you within 1 working day.
- An experienced Therapist will call you at an agreed time to understand your situation, clinical symptoms, potential causes and how the symptoms are impacting your life.
- They’ll advise you on how to address the cause of your symptoms and alleviate any aches and pains by adopting exercises, activities and lifestyle changes.
-
If it would help, after the consultation we may also share self-help videos with you to help adopt the advice recommended to you.
Please note. Our aches and pains consultations aren’t designed to treat more significant conditions or provide ongoing treatment, such as physiotherapy, chiropractice or osteopathy. However, where necessary, the experts will signpost you to the next steps they think will be most helpful to you.
Consultations are only suitable for over 18’s.Service is provided by
Why it’s important
20%
of people in the UK
see a doctor about a
musculoskeletal
problem each year.1
1/3
of the population suffer
from a musculoskeletal
condition such as
arthritis or back pain.2
30%
of GP consultations
are due to
musculoskeletal
conditions.2
Sources 1. GOV.UK, Musculoskeletal health: applying All Our Health, 1 March 2022.
2. NHS English, Musculoskeletal health, October 2023.
ACCESSING ANYTIME SERVICES
You can access these services as soon as your policy starts.
You can activate your MyGuardian account from the link in your welcome email – or the last reminder email if the link in the welcome email has expired. If you can’t find the last email, just give us a call on 0808 123 1821.
After doing that, you’ll be able to find the contact numbers for the Anytime services in the benefits section of MyGuardian.
