When people face a serious diagnosis or treatment plan, the impact goes far beyond the individual. It can affect productivity, morale, absenteeism, and long-term claims.
According to the latest data from January 2025, the NHS waiting list currently has 7.4 million cases, with approximately 6.24 million individual patients waiting for treatment. Around 3.02 million of these patients have been waiting over 18 weeks.
That’s why more forward-thinking employers and insurance providers are choosing to offer Second Medical Opinion (SMO) services as part of their health benefits portfolio—and Teladoc Health UK stands out as a global leader in this space, offering the’ Gold Standard’.
Why? We are the only provider of second medical opinion services with access to a global database of 50,000 top-tier medical specialists and surgeons carefully vetted for clinical leadership, academic credibility, and ongoing research activity. This is hugely advantageous, especially when patients are already under the care of leading UK institutions seeking a global perspective.
Unlike standard second opinion providers, our network includes internationally recognised consultants, department heads, and published researchers—many of whom are unavailable via traditional channels.
Business benefit: Employees and insured members gain direct access to cutting-edge medical insight, often leading to more accurate diagnoses, alternative treatments, or reassurance — all of which can reduce long-term claims, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary procedures.
For referrals received before 6pm, we offer a same-business-day safety triage call to assess any urgent needs and explain the next steps.
Business benefit: This immediate clinical contact ensures no time is lost in high-risk cases and improves patient outcomes through early, structured intervention.
Each case includes a 1-hour consultation with a dedicated GP Case Manager, giving the person space to share their full medical story — often for the first time.
Business benefit: People feel supported and heard, improving health literacy and engagement with care plans, which ultimately improves outcomes and reduces claim escalations.
Our dedicated Medical Records Team coordinates the retrieval of all necessary hospital letters, imaging, and test results from NHS and private providers, ensuring experts have complete information for review.
Operational benefit: Reduces the burden on HR and insurers to coordinate documents, and ensures smoother processing and faster outcomes.
Every expert report is fully anonymised, removing all patient-identifiable data while delivering detailed, actionable recommendations based on the latest clinical evidence.
Compliance benefit: Meets GDPR and privacy requirements, giving peace of mind to organisations managing employee or member data.
After the expert review, the patient receives a follow-up consultation with their GP case manager to review the findings, answer questions, and guide next steps.
Health benefit: Ensures the second opinion is understood and acted upon appropriately, avoiding confusion and empowering patients to make informed decisions.
Providing access to a second medical opinion service is not just about healthcare — it’s about:
Reducing long-term healthcare costs by avoiding misdiagnosis or unnecessary interventions
Accelerating return to work through faster, more effective care pathways
Enhancing employee trust and retention by offering meaningful support at critical moments
Improving claims management and reducing exposure for insurers
Boosting ESG and wellbeing credentials as a responsible employer or insurer
Our data shows that up to 69% of second opinion cases lead to a recommended change in diagnosis or treatment. In many cases, this results in:
Avoided surgeries or procedures
Improved treatment outcomes
Lower cost of care
Greater patient confidence and satisfaction
Meet some of our experts: https://teladochealth.org.uk/our-experts/
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