Telehealth specialist HealthHero has announced a partnership with UK operator, Parkwood Leisure.

The new offering will see Parkwood launch a premium membership category that includes unlimited, easy access to remote GP consultations 364 days a year, from 8.00am to 10.00pm.

Any prescriptions needed will be sent within two hours of the appointment.

The operator also plans to bundle in other benefits, including discounts on one-to-one nutrition consultations and access to online wellbeing advice. Also included will be rehabilitation and prehabilitation sessions for MSK conditions that will be delivered by its partner, social enterprise outfit Good Boost.

"We believe we should look after the whole person, not just their fitness," says Glen Hall, MD of Parkwood Leisure. "Our partnership with HealthHero will allow us to provide members with convenient, immediate access to medical advice, ensuring they receive care when they need it."

Sanjay Chada, strategic partnership director at HealthHero says the company has delivered 35 million health consultations in the UK since it launched in 2019 as part of the Medtop Group, including five million globally last year alone.

“In partnering with Parkwood Leisure, we hope to encourage thousands more people to benefit from accessible healthcare through our service,” he said.

The new offering will be made available to customers across Parkwood’s network of centres from the end of August 2024, including those managed under the Lex Leisure, Legacy Leisure, Creating Active Futures and 1Life brands.

BACKGROUND

Operators are increasingly offering members medical memberships due to consumer demand, which is being driven by the current pressure on services that can sometimes lead to long wait-times when it comes to seeing a doctor.

The concept is a win:win, as these memberships also represent an attractive upselling opportunity for operators.

Health Hero originally worked with operator Everyone Active and industry NED Cheryl Hersey on a new membership category called Everyone Wellness which launched in December 2023 and includes a Health Hero subscription.

Last month, Everyone Active’s Duncan Jefford told HCM that 25,000 members have already subscribed to this wellness membership, with 25 per cent of new fitness sign-ups choosing the option.

The health support element can be added to any Everyone Active membership for £9.99 (US$13.00, €12.00) per month, while the service is also available from £7.99 (US$10.38, €9.53) as an add-on for people living with long-term health conditions who are referred to the operator to move more.

The service costs £55.99 (US$78.00, €66.70) a month as a standalone.

Under the Everyone Active scheme, the HealthHero app connects data and appointments to each customer’s doctor and HealthHero can also refer customers directly to their doctor or therapist or for urgent care after their consultation.

“Since the Everyone Wellness product launch in December 2023, only 14 per cent of appointments have resulted in referrals to doctors, which shows how the service is relieving strain on the health service,” Jefford said.