Best Telehealth Providers for After-Hours

Illness doesn’t always strike during business hours, and even if it does, you may not be able to get to your GP in time. This is where telehealth is one of your best options. But which providers offer genuine 24/7 access to high-quality care and which do just let you “book anytime”, “request a medical certificate”, or use similarly obscure language on their website? I’ve vetted plenty of providers for MediCompare, so here is my guide to some of the best 24/7 telehealth providers and what to look out for before booking.

When browsing any telehealth platform, pay attention to the language used. Some claims can be somewhat misleading. For example, some telehealth providers display “24/7 bookings” or “anytime, anywhere” healthcare, while others simply highlight “24/7”, “7 days a week”, or “after-hours care” on their site. These are all red flags, as true round-the-clock telehealth providers offer all their services, well, around the clock, but especially doctors’ consultations.

This matters, as providers with extended hours sometimes take bookings and requests during opening hours that will only be reviewed or attended to when their team of doctors comes back online the next day. As you generally pay at the time of booking, this might leave you needing to pay for a different telehealth provider or potentially not getting your health needs attended to for hours.

Steer clear of providers offering bookings, requests, or scheduling 24/7. Instead, opt for ones that offer consultations 24/7. You can check the providers’ FAQs sections or the bottom of their websites, as many state their hours in either (or both) of these two places. Essentially, if they do not state “24/7 doctors’ consultations” or “24/7 access to a medical practitioner”, they probably don’t offer it. If in doubt, check out user reviews on Trustpilot or Product Review to see if the provider in question delivers on the 24/7 claim.

Be careful using search engines, as they do not “see” past the providers’ slightly misleading statements, even if you word your request carefully. You could check out our MediCompare tool for genuine 24/7 providers.

Here’s my current list of vetted 24/7 providers with consistently high user review ranking. All of them offer reasonably fast access to appointments at any time of day or night. Depending on your exact needs, one of them will hopefully be a good fit for you!

1. Hola Health and Prime Medic: Two top providers based on the high-quality, fast, and comprehensive services delivered and the consistently high ranking on user review websites. Both also offer some bulk billing. Please refer to my in-depth reviews for more information.
2. InstantScripts and Healthy Life: Depending on your needs, these are also a great choice. Slightly less consistency in user reviews, but still top-performing providers. (Healthy Life subcontracts Hola Health for some services and charges slightly more, but offers additional alternative options and pharmacy services.)
3. Updoc and Doctors On Demand: Based on wait times, user reviews and services available, they’re still a great choice, although not my first go-tos. (Depending on your exact needs, of course. For example, Updoc offers very affordable monthly subscriptions not available at most other telehealth providers.)

Below, you’ll find some vetted telehealth providers laying claim to 24/7 services that do not deliver doctor’s consults at any time. Some of them may offer booking or requests. Again, please do refer to my full reviews for more information.

• HelloGP: Claims 24/7 access to GPs, but the booking window shows only slightly extended booking hours and user reviews show excessive wait times or no consultation delivered in a timely manner. This is a relatively new business with no reviews available on Trustpilot or Product Review.
• Dial The Doc has a 24/7 marketing claim on its site, but the booking schedule again shows only some after-hours care, half-day Fridays, and a few hours on the weekend. The team and booking pages currently only show one associated GP.
• Midoc markets “24/7” service, but this only refers to the request for online medical certificates. It is unclear when they are reviewed if you submitted a request during unsociable hours.
• HootHealth advertises “24/7” availability, but, again, this refers only to medical certificate requests. Again, this may not be reviewed outside business hours.
• 24/7 Medcare has the 24/7 claim in the name. The site also states the service “aims to have our doctors available for [telehealth] 7 days a week”. But based on the general opening hours, it is unlikely you will receive swift 24/7 care.

When searching for a 24/7 telehealth provider, it’s essential to look beyond the marketing slogans. If in doubt, try contacting the site via live chat or phone to ask whether a doctor is available at the time of your need. The six platforms I have highlighted above and any others vetted by me for MediCompare meet high standards of customer care consistently.

This article is for informational purposes only and is no substitute for professional medical advice. Please choose your provider with care. Always consult your doctor or a qualified health professional regarding any health-related questions or concerns.