Freedom Leisure to offer free GP access as standard

Freedom Leisure has begun including free remote GP access to all of its members. The not-for-profit leisure trust, which operates more than 120 facilities on behalf of local authorities in the UK, will include the service ‘as standard’.

Offering GP access as part of fitness and leisure memberships isn’t new, but, in most cases, operators add the service to a premium membership or offer it as a chargeable bolt-on.

The GP service will be embedded in Freedom Leisure’s membership and covers not only the member but also their dependants.

Members can access same-day doctor-led GP appointments for themselves and their children from 8am – 10pm, 365 days a year.

The service also caters for personal preference, allowing members to select phone or video consultations, as well as the gender of the GP.

Delivered in partnership with HealthHero, the remote GP access will initially roll out in the Guildford and Woking partnerships, with further sites coming on board throughout the year.

Freedom Leisure CEO, Ivan Horsfall Turner, said: “Our partnership with HealthHero supports our members and their families with easily accessible medical support, whenever they need it. Community is at the heart of everything we do, so we felt strongly that this should be a benefit for our members, rather than creating a tiered option. As a not-for-profit leisure trust, we can continually reinvest in our offering and our partnership with HealthHero, which brings enhanced access to healthcare, is a great example of this reinvestment.”