"It’s a framework that supports the now well-evidenced, and increasingly popular, view that good work is good for health. And it’s a framework that has flexibility according to client needs built in: avoiding duplication of services for some; ensuring equity of support for others."
- James Walker, Head of Product and Proposition at Legal & General Group Protection
Legal & General Group Protection has recently announced the launch of its new 'Virtual Clinic', centred on virtual GP and mental health support from Teladoc Health. The Virtual Clinic provides employees everything from 24/7/365 access to GPs to mental wellbeing support and counselling. The clinic also offers services for family members, including child mental health consultations.
The new virtual GP and mental health support service is available to all Legal & General existing employees and GIP (Group Income Protection) clients.
The service will be provided on a modular basis so it can be used simultaneously with any existing wellbeing services clients may already have in place.
Legal & General has said that the new services sit alongside and complement its existing digital health support services, as part of the company’s outcomes-focused wellbeing framework announced last year; Be Well, Get Better, Be Supported.
Currently, this framework includes the Be Well Hub which provides employees with access to a range of wellbeing resources, including signposting, education material and a HR Communication Toolkit; the Be Well Helpline – a direct line for employers and intermediaries to vocational clinical specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational health advisers and occupational therapists; the Post Covid support service and the Care Concierge service.
The launch of Legal & General’s Virtue Clinic aims to help employees and their immediate families:
Be Well
Legal & General’s Employee Assistance Programme in partnership with Health Assured is designed to help employees live happier, healthier lives at no extra cost. Whether it’s mental, physical or financial problems, Health Assured offers a helpline to their wellbeing experts. The wellbeing helpline service is available 24/7, 365 to all employees of their group income protection customers.
Where appropriate, employees can also receive up to eight sessions of structured counselling.
Through this partnership, Legal & General also provide access to My Healthy Advantage, Health Assured’s health and wellbeing app, which offers a wide array of proactive wellbeing tools and features. This wellbeing app allows users to set bespoke goals using personalised metrics.
Get Better
The new Virtual GP service from Teladoc Health provides fast and direct access to GPs. The service includes 30-minute consultations; 90% of calls handled within 4 hours; private same day/next day prescription service; sick notes at no cost and private specialist referral at no cost. Employees can access the service via app, web portal or phone.
Teladoc Health’s mental health service also includes single session therapy for adults provided by Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Practitioner Psychologists and gives access to specialised psychological support.
Be Supported
Earlier this year, Legal & General announced its partnership with HCI (Health and Care Innovations Limited) to introduce the long-term condition management app CONNECTPlus.
HCI co-designed CONNECTPlus with NHS clinicians and patients to provide easy access to high quality health information and digital tools. This app has already been trialled in numerous NHS Foundation Trusts and was very successful.
A bespoke version of the app has been developed with Legal & General for employers to empower employees living with the long-term impacts of: Cancer; Multiple Sclerosis; Type 2 Diabetes; Stroke; Post Covid and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
It provides interactive access to clinically assured information, pain and symptom trackers and medication management as well as supporting Line Managers and HR to better understand an employee’s situation and the support they might need.
James Walker, Head of Product and Proposition at Legal & General Group Protection has said:
“We are delighted to partner with Teladoc Health – a proven and highly-regarded virtual care provider – as part of the evolution of our Be Well, Get Better, Be Supported framework. The Virtual Clinic builds on our existing wellbeing services to provide a comprehensive, personalised and digital framework to help employers support and empower their employees; whether they face short- or long- term conditions, and whether they need physical, psychological or social support – or a combination of these.”
