Guardian’s existing and new policyholders across all cover types will be able to benefit from an expanded Guardian Anytime service, which will include Emotional Wellbeing and Aches and Pains support, from tomorrow (1 December).

The expanded service will enhance Guardian Anytime’s existing offering, which includes GP 24/7 and access to a second medical opinion, to give policyholders free access to support and preventative care designed to help improve mental and physical wellbeing.

Delivered in partnership with HealthHero, the new Emotional Wellbeing and Aches and Pains support will be available Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm, during which policyholders can have a 30-minute phone consultation with a specialist who can help deal with emotional wellbeing issues or signpost the appropriate action to take regarding aches and pains. The consultations will be delivered by experienced advisers – registered with the appropriate professional bodies – and promote education, self-help, and signposting.

Emotional Wellbeing: advisers will include registered mental health nurses and counsellors. During consultations, the adviser will carry out a holistic assessment to understand the factors that may be impacting the policyholder’s emotional wellbeing. They will listen to the policyholder’s concerns and provide helpful advice, suggest coping strategies and signposting to resources that can help.

Aches and Pains: advisers will include professionals such as physiotherapists and sports therapists. Depending on the nature of the concern, they can provide guided self-help in the form of remedial and lifestyle information, exercises, and guided videos. The service is not designed to treat more significant conditions or provide ongoing treatment, however where this is necessary, advisers can help signpost the most appropriate course of action.

Jacqui Gillies, marketing and proposition director at Guardian, said: “Life can be emotionally and physically challenging, and almost everyone needs support from time to time. We wanted to help our policyholders look after their mental health and seek advice, when required, from a qualified professional on how to prevent any aches and pains from worsening. That’s why we’re adding these important support services to Guardian Anytime, sitting alongside our GP24/7 service and second medical opinion.

“The time is certainly right to introduce these services; according to HealthHero, 1 in 4 people have a mental health condition and 1 in 4 have musculoskeletal concerns. Industry claims data also shows that mental health and musculoskeletal are 2 of the top 3 causes of Income Protection claims. By giving our policyholders access to these new services, available to them free of charge from tomorrow, we can better support them to proactively manage their health and tackle any issues before they get worse.”