What to expect from a digital GP consultation

It’s not always easy to get an appointment to see your doctor on a day or time that suits you.

Ringing up your surgery. Hanging on hold. Having to take an appointment that means juggling your schedule or taking time off work.

And when you’re ill, peeling yourself out of bed might be difficult, or you might have mobility issues, or young children to herd out the door, or another reason why an in-person appointment is difficult to attend. That’s where a virtual appointment might help.

A virtual doctor’s appointment is very similar to an in-person one. You book a date and time for your consultation, but you meet face-to-face over video instead. With our virtual GP service, appointments are available 24/7 and you could get one in as little as 30 minutes – at any time of day or night.

During your appointment, you’ll be able to describe your symptoms and show the doctor any physical issues, like a rash. They’ll be able to ask you questions to dig down and discover what the problem is. They can even prescribe medication, a fit note, or onward referral if needed.

You may have seen many different digital GP services out there. How you book an appointment, or how long you'll have to wait will be different across them all. 

With Aviva Digital GP, you'll be able to book a video consultation at a time that works best for you and pick from a list of appointments.

You'll also benefit from other features like choosing a specific doctor, receiving a reminder about your appointment, and you get written notes saved in your app after it.

To help your video consultation go smoothly, you can prepare by:

• Checking you have a strong internet connection, although the service will also advise you of this.
• Making sure your device is fully charged or plugged in.
• Tucking yourself away in a quiet, well-lit place where you won’t be disturbed and you’ll be comfortable speaking about your symptoms.
• Jotting down anything you want to tell your doctor, like your symptoms, or any burning questions you have. With Aviva Digital GP, you can enter notes and upload photos into the app ahead of your appointment, so your GP already has the information.
• Gathering any medications you’re currently on and having them close by so you can read the labels if you need to. The Aviva Digital GP service prompts you to update your medical profile in the app prior to booking your appointment. This allows you to update it with any current medications you're taking or any changes to your health.

Following your virtual GP appointment, your doctor can prescribe medication on a private prescription basis if it’s needed. How you receive this medication may vary depending on your chosen digital GP service. Normally you can pick it up at your local pharmacy, or you might be able to get it dropped through your letterbox. With Aviva Digital GP, you can choose to collect it from a pharmacy local to you or have it delivered to an address you choose.

With our health insurance you get access to the Aviva Digital GP app, provided by Square Health. This gives you, and anyone else on your policy, unlimited video consultations per policy year with a private GP. All at no extra cost. If you've got children under 16, you can even add them to your account to benefit from the video consultations.

The Aviva Digital GP app also allows you to:

• See each GP’s personal biography, gender and any medical area they have specialised in – so you can pick the person who’s right for you. You can also search for a doctor you’ve previously seen via the app in the last six months.
• Choose to recive an SMS text reminder 10 minutes before your appointment starts.
• View your consultation history and notes within the app to review what was said and any advice you got.
• Order repeat prescriptions in-app (NHS England exemptions apply) to be sent to your home free of charge.
• Receive a fit note (sometimes called a sick note) if you’re too ill to work, if it is deemed clinically appropriate.
• Aviva Digital GP is non-contractual and can be changed or withdrawn at any time. It’s available if you’re a resident of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, at home or abroad. Terms and conditions and the privacy policy can be viewed in the Aviva Digital GP app before you sign up, and mobile data charges may apply.