AAXA

Short answer: the best UK telehealth options people actually use

If you’re in the UK, I’d split “telehealth” into three buckets:

1. NHS digital access — best first stop for routine GP care, repeat prescriptions and records.
2. Private online GP apps — best when you want a faster one-off GP appointment.
3. Online doctor/pharmacy clinics — best for straightforward treatments like contraception, cystitis, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, weight loss, STI tests, travel meds, acne, etc.

Top recommendations

My practical picks

• Use first: NHS App + your own GP’s online form — especially for repeat prescriptions, GP admin requests, routine symptoms, fit-note requests, test results and records. It’s the most mainstream digital health route in England by usage. (digital.nhs.uk)
• Best private video GP: Livi, Push Doctor, or Doctor Care Anywhere.
• Best if you have private medical insurance:
  • AXA → Doctor Care Anywhere / AXA Doctor at Hand. (doctorcareanywhere.com)
  • Bupa → Bupa Digital GP / Blua. (bupa.co.uk)
  • Aviva → Aviva Digital GP, powered by Square Health. (aviva.co.uk)
  • Vitality → Vitality GP via the Vitality UK app. (vitality.co.uk)
• Best for simple prescriptions/tests: Boots Online Doctor, Superdrug Online Doctor, ZAVA, Pharmacy2U Online Doctor, and Numan depending on the condition.
• Avoid relying on “Babylon” as a current standalone pick: the old Babylon/eMed private app route has effectively moved users to Livi for new appointments since January 2025. (livi.co.uk)

Safety checklist before paying

Use a service that clearly shows its CQC registration for clinical care in England and GPhC registration if it dispenses medicines. The CQC specifically advises checking where the provider is based, who regulates it, and whether clinicians are properly registered. (cqc.org.uk)

For emergencies — chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe breathing problems, major injury, suicidal crisis — do not use telehealth; call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent but non-emergency advice, use NHS 111 or your local nation’s equivalent.

If you’re in the UK, the most widely used telehealth options are usually the big private GP apps and the services bundled with insurers, rather than one single “best” brand. The strongest names to look at are Push Doctor, Doctor Care Anywhere, Teladoc Health UK, and Aviva/Bupa/AXA/Vitality virtual GP services, depending on whether you want pay-as-you-go or insurance-linked care.

Top UK telehealth brands people actually use

• Push Doctor — one of the better-known UK online doctor apps for video GP appointments and prescriptions; it is described as the UK’s first platform to offer video consultations via smartphone.
• Doctor Care Anywhere — commonly used as a private GP option with 24/7 access to private GPs and clinicians via app and desktop.
• Teladoc Health UK — a major employer/healthcare platform in the UK, aimed at virtual care and employee health support.
• Bupa from Home / Babylon-style virtual GP services — insurer-linked virtual GP access remains one of the most common ways UK patients use telehealth; Bupa’s virtual GP service is highlighted as offering 24/7 access and video consultations.
• Aviva Digital GP / Square Health-powered services — another widely used insurer-linked route, with 24/7 access and prescription support.
• Vitality GP — a popular insurance-linked virtual GP with video consults, private prescriptions, and referral pathways.
• Consultant Connect — mainly NHS-facing rather than consumer-facing, but important in UK telemedicine because it supports NHS advice-and-guidance workflows.

Best choices by use case

• Best overall private GP app: Doctor Care Anywhere or Push Doctor for straightforward UK online doctor access.
• Best if you already have private health insurance: use your insurer’s virtual GP, such as Bupa, Aviva, AXA, or Vitality.
• Best for employer-provided care: Teladoc Health UK is a strong enterprise option.
• Best for NHS-integrated clinical workflows: Consultant Connect.

What most UK users expect from telehealth

• Video consultations are now widely available across many NHS services as well as private care.
• Common features include prescription handling, phone/video appointments, and access via app or web.

If you want, I can also rank these for best value, fastest appointments, or best for prescriptions in the UK.