A new GP telephone advice line just launched in Ireland provides free access to a qualified doctor 24/7 all year round and will be welcomed by families who find it difficult to get to a GP or are struggling with everyday medical bills.
 
The new service comes as part of a re-launch by HSF Health Plan of its range of low-cost cash plans, which have enhanced benefits that include up to 100% cash back on everyday medical expenses such as visits to the dentist and optician and grants towards the cost of visits to the GP.
 
As well as the GP advice line all HSF’s contributors in Ireland also now have free access to a number of advice services providing medical information, stress counselling and legal advice.
 
Statistics from a small pilot service run by HSF in Ireland from January – June last year*, show that the greatest number of calls (33%) to the GP help line were made out of normal surgery hours at 8pm and a signifcant proportion (27%) concerned children. The subjects of the calls, which were made by females (60%) and lasted on average between 6-10 minutes, largely referred to child illness, rashes, asthma, chest infections, pain or injury. Over 80% of the calls during the pilot resulted in no further medical advice or action being required, the balance were referred to their GP for a rountine/non-urgent appointment.
 
According to Roy Smith, HSF Health Plan, the GP advice line can be used as a complement to your regular GP: “Contacting your GP for medical advice, reassurance or guidance, especially outside normal surgery hours or during the working day, can often prove difficult. Our new GP advice line can provide an invaluable information and advice service, which might prevent an unnecessary trip to a GP.”
 
Smith cautions however that it is not an emergency service, nor can it be used regarding pregnancy. In both cases HSF recommends immediate contact with GP or the emergency services so as not to delay necessary treatment.
 
Research** has shown that over half (55%) of Irish people put off routine medical checks, such as visits to the GP, dentist and optician, because of the cost.
 
HSF Health Plan has been operating in Ireland for over 60 years and provides a low-cost alternative to health insurance for many Irish families. While a cash plan doesn’t pay private hospital or operation costs, it gives cash back for a wide range of everyday health care costs including GP, prescription, consultant, dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropody, along with grants for hospital stays, birth grants and worldwide accident cover.
 
Premiums for an HSF Health Plan start at €9.50 per month that covers you, your spouse or partner and dependent children up to the age of 21. As well as these benefits, there’s a feel good factor. HSF Health Plan is the trading company of the registered charity The Hospital Saturday Fund, which returns its surplus funds to the community through medical charities, hospices and hospitals.
 
HSF Health Plan covers over 100,000 people in Ireland and over 700 organisations from the voluntary, public and private sectors, offer HSF Health Plan to their staff.
 
Issued on behalf of HSF Health Plan by Walsh Public Relations
Contact: Vivienne Gleeson
Tel: (01) 6613515 / (086) 3475511
Email: Vivienne@walshpr.ie
 
Notes to Editors:
 
The GP Telephone Consulation service provided by HSF is not intended to replace the personal care offered by the patient’s doctor and cannot be used to obtain referral for treatment. It is provided via a LoCall number to UK-based qualified, experienced, practising GPs under the jurisdiction of the Medical Council as well as the UK General Medical Council and English courts.
Calls to the advice line are answered by a specially trained operator who will take some details and arrange for a GP to call back at a convenient time.
The service is being provided by Medical Solutions UK Ltd, which has been operating the same service for HSF contributors in the UK for the last five years.
 
* Pilot run by Medical Solutions from January to June 2009 with an annualised call volume of 79.
 
** Research conducted by Empathy Research in August 2007 with a sample of 1,053 adults, nationally representative of the population of the Republic of Ireland, aged 18-44 years of which 35% had children.
 
Sample scheme:
 
HSF Health Plan Scheme A
€11 per week (€572 per annum) covers the whole family
 
Dental & Optical - 100% cash back up to €500
GP and Emergency - €19 x 10 visits
Prescription - €10 x 4
Practitioner (physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropody, chiropractic) - 100% cash back up to €700
Specialist investigations - 100% cash back up to €1,100
Birth/adoption grant - €700 per child
Hospital stay - €80 per night up to 40 nights, per person
Day case surgery - €80 per day up to 8 days
 
For more information, please visit www.hsf.ie