"In providing on-demand access to such services, we’re doing our part to help create good work that’s beneficial for health; enabling more working-age people to thrive in the workplace by levelling up access."
- James Walker, Head of Product and Proposition at Legal & General Group Protection
The latest usage data from Legal & General and Teladoc Health UK is part of the total usage data since the launch of Legal & General’s virtual GP in July 2022, through to October 2023. The full range of services includes child mental health consultations, physiotherapy assessments, and fast-track access to expert consultations from multiple disciplines.
These services are available on-demand through the Health365 app or online portal, which can be accessed by Legal & General’s Group Income Protection (IP) population and their dependents – as well as additional employees not insured by Legal & General.
This data reflects the ever-widening health inequalities documented in Legal & General’s latest Rebuilding Britain Index. The report revealed that although 1 in 6 children aged 5-16 years old are likely to have a mental health problem, NHS waiting lists for mental health support continue to range from 2-22 weeks.
Consequently, almost 18% of registrations to Legal & General’s Be Well. Get Better. Be Supported service were for dependants under 18 years old.
James Walker, Head of Product and Proposition at Legal & General Group Protection, explained that by having Group IP in place, “employers are not only helping extend essential primary care support to their employees, whether we’re covering them or not, but also to their dependants.”
“This brings value to employees, relieving the worry that comes when their child is unwell. And it brings value to businesses, in terms of contributing to DEI goals, plus ESG strategy in the process,” he continued.
Rebecca White, Director of Operations at Teladoc Health UK, agreed that a child’s mental health is as much a worry for parents as their health, so “enabling swift access to experts in the face of significant waits for NHS services is invaluable.”
She also highlighted that according to its latest patient satisfaction data for Legal & General, if customers hadn’t used the GP service, only 68% would have seen their GP at the next available appointment while 11% would have gone to emergency/urgent care. “The service is proven to help reduce pressure on the NHS” which Rebecca described as “more over-stretched than ever.”
