For many professionals across the UK, making an appointment with their GP has become nigh impossible. Many patients are only being allowed to make appointments on the day they call the surgery. Others are being forced to wait up to three weeks to see their doctor. As a consequence, more than one million patients each year are seeking care at an A&E unit because they are unable to get a GP appointment, NHS research has found.

Our solution  

With over ten years’ experience in the education sector, we understand how financially costly, disruptive and time-consuming staff absences can be. One step we have taken to help schools prevent and manage their workforce’s absences is engaging APL Health, a market leading occupational health and wellbeing company. APL Health offer an array of health promotion, health surveillance and absence management services at no additional cost to our schools.  These include physiotherapy, health reports, counselling, pre-placement assessments and wellbeing sessions. 

In order to address healthcare challenges such as seeing a GP or getting a prescription, APL Health allow our schools to add a Health Cash Plan to their policy. This entitles all insured members of staff to claim for a range of everyday healthcare costs, consultations and treatments. They will also have access to a 24-hour GP helpline, a virtual GP surgery and a private prescription service, making healthcare a simple and convenient process that will not disrupt their work. 

24-hour GP helpline 

Telephone consultations are available free, 24 hours a day. Calls will be answered by a specially trained operator who will take some details and arrange for a GP to call back at a convenient time. Moreover, there is no limit to the number of calls your staff can make to this service. 

Virtual GP Surgery 

The Virtual GP Surgery gives your staff access to online GP consultations via a webcam. They can book a webcam consultation between the hours 8.30 – 6.30pm, Mon – Fri.  The GP can raise an electronic private prescription.  Where appropriate a copy of the consultation notes can be sent to your member of staffs own doctor.  

Private prescription service

The private prescription service allows your staff to have prescription medication delivered to their door.  Where appropriate the GP will send a private prescription electronically to the pharmacy, authorised with a digital signature.  The pharmacist will check the prescription and contact your member of staff to confirm delivery of the medication. 

For a detailed breakdown of the benefits of adding the Health Cash Plan to your policy, please download our ‘Managing staff absence’ e-brochure here and see page 05. Alternatively, to speak to one of our dedicated Schools Team, please call 0800 862 0077.