We understand that you may be facing uncertainty and tough times. Your health, and that of your loved ones is very important to us. We want you to know that we’re here to support you wherever we can. Here for you, them and everyone.
For Benenden Health members, our services remain available to you, including our 24/7 GP and 24/7 mental health helplines which have been invaluable to many throughout the pandemic.
Benenden Health members also have access to a range of popular health and wellbeing classes through our partner Vita Health. For more information about these classes please log into My Benenden
And as well as making sure we’re here for you, we continue to help our NHS. We’re supporting the Royal Brompton Hospital, recognised worldwide for their work in respiratory disease, with their research into Covid-19.
If you're in financial difficulty due to COVID-19 and need to discuss your payment options please contact us on 0800 414 8100
We’re pleased to be able to continue to provide you with diagnosis and treatment through many of our partners, although Health Assessments are affected and some appointments may need to be re-booked.
If you have an appointment booked with us, please do attend unless otherwise advised. This is in line with Government guidance and providers will ensure this is a safe experience for you.
If there’s a delay due to Covid-19, any diagnosis and treatment authorisation we’ve already provided to you during the pandemic will remain valid until 30th June 2022. Please contact the consultant(s) or hospital(s) listed in your original authorisation letter and they will guide you in arranging your appointments.
Please do continue to visit your GP if you have any health concerns, and should they refer you to a consultant for further diagnosis, Benenden Health may be able to assist you in accessing this if there is an extended wait via the NHS
Unfortunately, we're unable to help members access a COVID-19 vaccine as this is a service being closely monitored and administered through the NHS. Our GP 24/7 helpline offers advice and support relating to COVID-19, but we're unable to offer any further help with regards to accessing vaccines.
Who is classed as vulnerable, what is a long-term condition, do I need to be worried, should I self-isolate? These are current common health concerns of the nation as whole.
Coronavirus can be spread when people with the virus have close, sustained contact with people who are not infected. This typically means spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of an infected person, such as talking to someone for instance.
Information on hand hygiene, planning ahead and how to use health services and resources.
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can be fabulous sources of information but sadly this information may not be fact based and can quickly raise anxiety and spread concern. The spread of misinformation, myth and rumour can create serious health and social implications for our society.
When looking for Coronavirus information the following will provide the most up to and evidence-based information:
English government and public health information
gov.uk/coronavirus
www.nhs.uk/coronavirus/
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Welsh government & public health information
https://gov.wales/coronavirus
https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/
Scottish government & public health information
https://www.gov.scot/
https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/
Northern Ireland Executive & public health
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/
Accredited Twitter feeds
Public Health England @PHE_uk
Public Health Wales @PublicHealthW
Public Health Scotland @P_H_S_Official
Public Health Northern Ireland @publichealthni
Our 24/7 GP helpline partner Medical Solutions have also provided a range of resources including helpful videos.
For most people, Covid-19 is a short illness. But some people can experience symptoms for weeks or months after the initial illness, even if they were previously healthy.
As Long Covid is a newly emerging condition, some sufferers have found it hard to get a diagnosis and the help they need. But now there’s more research under way to help doctors understand the illness and find the best ways to treat it.
If you have unusual symptoms lasting a month or more you should contact your GP. You can be diagnosed with Long Covid even if you didn’t have a positive Covid-19 test when you were first ill. The test can produce false negatives and testing wasn’t widespread early on in the pandemic.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest blood tests, a chest X-ray and ECG, or heart trace, to assess your condition and rule out other causes.
Our 24/7 GP advice line is always there for advice and guidance. Although we can't diagnose Long Covid we can provide support with other symptoms
If you have been diagnosed with Long Covid and are suffering physical symptoms our Physiotherapy team may be able to provide guidance.
If you have been diagnosed with Long Covid and are suffering from symptoms such as anxiety or fatigue the 24/7 Mental Health Helpline may be able to offer additional support
Receive the latest health and wellbeing advice from Benenden Health.
We will share tips on eating healthy, ideas to improve your mental wellbeing along with easy to digest information on common health conditions.
Download your guide to Benenden Healthcare which explains all the services provided with our healthcare - what's included and excluded and how you access them.
We’re here to care for our members.
For help and advice during this challenging time take a look at some of our articles on:
Receive the latest health and wellbeing advice from Benenden Health.
We will share tips on eating healthy, ideas to improve your mental wellbeing along with easy to digest information on common health conditions.
Download your guide to Benenden Healthcare which explains all the services provided with our healthcare - what's included and excluded and how you access them.
