The struggle to get GP appointments and how your mortgage protection can help

You call at 8am on the dot, as soon as they open, in the hope of getting ahead of the queue. The line connects, yet you still find yourself with 20 callers in front of you. So you wait on hold for an hour, only to be told to “try again later” or that “the next available appointment is in 4 weeks”!

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately this is something that too many of us are experiencing in the current climate. Following the disruption to GP services during the pandemic¹, appointments are hard to come by these days² with many GPs struggling under the weight of the increased demand and backlog.

But did you know your mortgage or income protection plan could help?

A common misconception is that life insurance and income protection only cover your mortgage and income. However, the majority of providers now include additional benefits that go unnoticed, but can in fact be greatly beneficial. These benefits range from remote GP services that you can access 24/7 and prescription facilities to instant mental health services and physio appointments. A lot of providers now also extend this to cover not only yourself, but also spouses and children, which can provide peace of mind for the whole family.

If you have a protection plan in place, it is worth checking your documents to ensure you are utilising any additional benefits as the value of your insurance could extend beyond just protecting your mortgage and income.

¹ ‘How rising patient numbers threaten to overwhelm GPs’ (May 2021): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57229848

² ‘Why is it so hard to get a GP appointment?’ (January 2023): https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-gp-appointment-agsTT2p0SeE3