Friends Life has signed a new long-term agreement with Best Doctors.

It will include its service in the company’s new individual protection policies sold through recognised IFA channels.

Best Doctors is a medical information service for policyholders and their families.

The service, which will be available to all individual protection customers and their immediate family during the lifetime of the policy, will be an option on the new Friends Life Protect+ Defaqto 5-star-rated critical illness and income protection products. It is also available on all term products providing Friends Life with a demonstrable difference in its offering.

Steve Casey, head of marketing and proposition development at Friends Life, said: “Having seen at first hand the difference this service makes to the lives of so many people